
Class LAJr"^ 

Ciop^htN" - 

COPYRIGHT nEPOsn-. 



••GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOU\ ENIR 

Series \i) 9 
•GRIP" COMPILER SYRACUSE N Y 



MARATHON N Y 




Price 35 Cents 



MAUATHON FKO.M KAST HII.L 



RIPS ■• HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OK MARATHON 

[Copyrighted 190I, by E. I.. Welch, "Cirip'l 
Historical Scries No. IX— "Grip's" S.mM-nir G.umc 



•^■s.\cW i't-S; 



Marathon, N. Y., 



and Vicinity. 



CAUTION— The Title, Slvle nl Make-up anj Conlents are Protc«cd by Copyright 



ONGRESS, 
Cowts Received I 
(. 14 1901 

iPyFKGHT ENTR 
COPY B; 



Descriptive and historical of marathon 



ItY D. B. TRIPP 



MARATHON with its classic name and 
respectable recoi'd is situated iu the 
southern tier of Cortland county ou 
both sides of the Tioughuioga river 50 miles south 
of Syracuse and 30 miles north of Binghamtou. 
It occupies a narrow but fertile valley with hills 
sloping gently to the east and west. Its history 
comprises two periods. The first beginning in the 




nSM'.w}j?_#_b^«;- 




THE RAILROAD STATION— "4 O'CLOCK TRAIN. 
• .Tohn.^on, Pluitu. 



year 1794 is the period of settlement. The second 
dates from about 1850 and may be termed the 
pi'riod of development. The names most promi- 
nently identified with the first period and the date 
of their arrival are, Hunt 1T94, Brink 1798, Carley 
1800, Squires ISOI, Church 180.5, Mallery 1805, Bur- 
gess 1817. It is not to be supposed that these were 
the only people that took up their abode here. 
( )thers came along and stayed for awhile and passed 
on, some to other parts and some to the 
other world. But tlie .seven families here 
mentioned located and stayed and their 
descendeuts ciimjirise a part of the pres- 
ent population. Tlie history of the early 
.settlement of Marathon does not differ 
mateiially from the common experiences 
of pioneer life. It was a life of hard 
work and hard fare amid danger and 
l)rivations, with little to encourage and 
not much to enjoy. They found an uu 
broken forest without roads or liabitn^ 
tions or productions. The only aveiiu' 
of appi-oach was the river. The neare-i 
settlement where .supplies could be pre ■ 
cured was Binghamtou. Amid sue li 
scenes they toiled and suffered. Under 
difliculties comuKin to first settlers they 
struggled to provide shelter and clear 
little patches of land whereon theycouM 
raise the necessary material to sustain 
life. They have left no conspicuou> 
monuments of their heroic efforts: but 
tliey survived. If they have left no 
other legacy than cleared land, ordinary 
habitations, honored graves and a re- 
spectable, though not numerous pos- 



terity, it may be tliat they wrought as great 
a work, if not as elaborate as the generations that 
came after them. During the first 50 years there 
had been some concentration of business near the 
"Corners." There were three stores, a tavern, a 
school house, a church, a grist mill, a saw mill, 
a tannery, a distillery, an ashery, a cabinet shop, 
a blacksmith, a cobbler, a preacher and a doctor. 
The Syracuse and Binghamtou railroad 
was begun iu 1852 and completed in 1854, 
and from that time the growth and pro- 
gress of the village was more rapid. 
Anson Peck and R. P. Burhans built the 
Peck Block iu 1854. and the hotel known 
for many years thereafter as the Carley 
Hou.se was built the same year ou the 
west side of the river. The Peck Block 
was a radical innovation in business 
nrchiteeture. It was the finest and best 
adajited business building in the county 
at that time and it elevated "storekeep- 
ing" to the dignity of a mercantile pur- 
suit. The location of the railroad on 
„^ the west side of the river stimulated a 

considerable activity in building up that 
side, and for many years there was a 
brisk rivalry between the " sides of the 
river." But a better sentiment in after 
years prevaOed. The spirit of jealousy 
and rivah-y was supplanted by unity 
and harmony, and it was recognized 
that whatever benefitted one part of the 
village benefitted all : that no one should 
be put in charge of any department of 
the public service who was not large enough 
to include every section and every interest in 
the general welfare. The village was incorpo- 
rated iu 18R1 with Asa Hunt as the first presi- 
dent and a population of 56(i. The first 
iron bridge was built in lS(is, the new school 

building in 1872, and in the school was in- 

corporat(^d under the charge of the Regents of the 
University as a Union graded school with au Aca 




(TAMP WILLOW-DELCOX— •■ IN SLTMMER MOOD.' 
Dellow, Piiuto. 



A 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



demic department. In 1876 the Baptist church 
was built, and the same year the Methodist and 
Presbyterian churches were removed and rebuilt. 
In IJSTT the ground which had been vacated by 
tlie removal of the old school building and the 
Presbyterian church and the adjacent "Common" 
was filled and graded and transformed into a neat 
village park. The new Firemen's building was 
erected in Is'il), the soldiers' monument in ISDii, 
the Library building in 18!)4. The electric light 
was instaile<l in lfS95 
and tlie water system g 
completed in 18!t9. g 
Meanwhile new resi- 5 
deuces were being ^ 
built and old ones re- •< 
paired to keep pace ? 
with modern archi- ;^ 
t«cture. The streets 5 
were graded and 5 
drained and otherwise - 
improved. Front g 
fences were removed. s 
trees trimmed, curbs 5 
and gutters defined, ^ 
lawn mowers employ- E= 
ed and the general ; 
tone and dominant P 
sentiment with few ^ 
exceptions was in the g 
direction of improve- S 5 
ment, neatness and i > 
good taste. In addi- jj s 
tion to the expense ^ ►. 
involved iu this cata- f 5 
logue of events, the ^ J 
town had voluntarily ^. „ 
incurred a heavy in- c 5 
debtedness to pay the ^ B 
bounties to its soldiers g S 
who were enlisted in 5 i 
the war for the sup- " ^ 
pre.ssiou of the rebel- § = 
lion, and so the burd- S. j. 
ens of taxation and of B i 
voluntary contribu- S 
tions have been about j- 
as heavj- as the people ; 
could conveniently ; 
carry. Marathon has ^ 
not profited by any ; 
specially favorable lo- '\ 
cation, nor enjoyed J 
the distinction of su- : 
pernatural scenery. It ^ 
has no lake or cave or .; 
nunintain or gorge or : 
mineral soring or cata- : 
ract. All it is or ex- : 
j)ect8 to be depends : 
upon the energy and '. 
ability of its iiihabi- ; 
taiits. It claims no ," 
monopoly of extra- 1 
ordinary talent or dis- [ 
tiiK-tion of its people. r- 

It ha-s furnished no candidate for tlie llimiie or 
victim for the scaffold. Its people have not hei'U 
excessively religious and only moderately literary. 
There has been no aristocracy of birth or of 
wealth. They have had tlie faculty of doing de- 
cently well whatever they undertook, and have 
been jiarticnlarly fortunate in always having a 
good strong niiijority on the right side of every 
finestion wliich involved the welfare of the 
village. It cherishes a warm regard for those 



who have once lived here and liave wou,^hx)Oor 
and distinction elsewhere. David R. LookS, 
(Na.sby), the humorous editor of the Toledo ^ 
Blade; Thurlow Weed, the eminent journalist, 
party leader, and partner in the political firm of 
Seward, Weed and Greely ; J. Stewart Wells, one 
(if tlie most prominent business men of Bingham- 
ton ; Jolin Hilsiuger, a lawyer and financier in 
Sabula, Iowa, all spent their boyhood days in 
Marathon. Franklin Pierce a lawyer in New 




York city; .1. S. Gro.'^s, a lawyer in Owego: llcr 
b(>rt M. Lovell and Ross Lovell, lawyers in El 
niira ; Earl Ijovell, a professor in Columbia 
Collcfjc; D W. Whitmore an<l David Whitmor 
(•(iiuniission men-hunts in New York, are among 
the bright boys who fir.st .saw the liglit in Jlara 
thon. Prof. Lewis Swift, (lie iniiiicnt astiono 
nier, Prof. M. L. Hawley ; (iiigi' E. Tarlirll. ]ire 
sident and director of the Eiiiiitable .\ssuraiK'e 
Co., maintain their friendship and allegiance for 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP MARATHON 




THE VILLAGE TRUSTEES. 
O. G. Underwood. C. EnoENE Botden, Pres. Walter 

Marathon. But a place caunot aloue endure on 
the glory of the departed. Its strength and reli- 
ance and success must finally rest upon those who 
stay and bear the burden, assume the responsi- 
bilities and direct the enterprises : who are not 
looking for a chance to get out, but are content 
to remain and put forth their best endeavoi'S to 
make their town a desirable place to stay in. It 
is believed that such efforts by the present genera- 
tion have been to some degree successful, and as 
the village enters upon the second century of its 
existence, the business is more genei'ally diversi- 
fied and conducted on a more prosperous and sub- 
stantial basis than at any previous period in its 
history. With unexcelled markets where the 
products of the farm can be readily turned into 
cash at tlie highest prices, with ample banking 
facilities, with tradesmen ready to supply at your 
door every article of necessity or luxury, with the 
electric light and city water, with church and 
school and library and opera house, with labor 
fully employed and amply paid, with no strikes 
nor riots nor earthquakes nor tidal waves nor cy- 
clones nor simoons nor pestilence nor extreme 
poverty nor shoddy aristocracy nor society non- 
sense, it may be modestly said that this is a goodly 



land and that a person seeking a home 
might go further and fare worse. A 
more detailed account of the different 
business concerns and the persons con- 
nected therewith will be found in the 
subsequent pages of this book. 

The Baptist Church On the 20th 

day of October 1860, there met in Peck's 
Hall in the rUlage of Marathon, N. Y., 
a number of persons professing Baptist 
faith, to consider the propriety of organ- 
izing a Baptist church here. Tlie meet- 
ing was duly organized by appointing 
Rev. Chauncy Darby moderator and 
Brother P. E. Stickney clerk. A short 
time was spent in pra3-er for wisdom 
and direction from God, after which all 
present spoke, expressing their views 
and convictions that the time had come 
to unite in a church organization. That 
conviction was emliodied in the follow- 
ing resolution, viz: '-Resolved, That 
we believe God requii'es us as his people 
to form ourselves into a Baptist church 
in this village for the glory of His name 
and the upbuilding of his kingdom." It 
was then voted to request Rev. Chauncy 
Darby to identify himself with this 
A. Brink, chiu'ch organization and become its 
pastor. The meeting then adjourned to 
meet in four weeks at Peck's Hall. The church 
met on November 17, according to appointment. 
Prayer was offered by Rev. G. H. Brigham of 
Homer, N. Y., after which the meeting was duly 
organized by appointing Rev. Chancy Darby mo- 
nitor and Brother P. E. Stickney clerk. The fol- 
lowing brothers and sisters then presented letters 
from other churches and became the constituent 
members of the church : Rev. Chancy Darby. 
Joseph Conger. Electa Conger, Lucius Heffron, 
Ann E. Heffron, Dudley Smith, Aaron White, 
Hannah Wliite, David Shattuck, Arzelia E. Shat- 
tuck, J. D. Huntley. Loisa C. Muiitley, William 
(iardner. Polly Gardner, Nelson Gardner, Ange- 
liue (iardner,' Russell Turner. Agnes Turner, 
Philip E. Stickney, N. C. (Jlitton, Elizabeth Glit- 
ton, Emeline Lewis, Naomi Richardson, Phoebe 
E. Turner and Lydia M. Whitmore. It was voted 
that the name "of the church be "The Baptist 
Church of Marathon, N. Y." Jay E. Turner and 
Dorcas Lovell related their Christian experience 
and were dulj' received as candidates for baptism. 
They were baptized the following Sabbath. 
Heni-y Hammond related his Cliristian experience 
and was received and baptized upon the same 
Sabbath with the others. A council was called 
to meet in Peck's Hall on December 20, 1860. for 
the recognition of the church. The following 
Baptist chm-ches were invited to send delegates to 





"THE KIVEK CUTS THE VILLAGE INTO HALVES." 
Thi- Old (Jarley Mill Daiu The Old Bridge, removed December 1900. The New Bridge, completed February li«>l 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




OFFICERS VAI^LEY REBEl.'KAH [See Sk., P. B. 
Elsie Van Viw 
. ; fi, Alice Sal 
burv, K. S. X. G.: 7, Bessie ValHntiii.-, L,S. N.(;.: s, Lilli,. Me D(i 

ald,"L. S. V. (i.: !l, B. S. Brink, i ii i. : m. IImi, All.-n, \V;irile 

11. Phoebe Mvers, C<mdurti,i- : 1:,', Aria c • .r u in. i liai.hiiii : i:;. Ann 
McAlpme, P."(*. ; 14. L, K. M.-Ali.m.-. lirill M;i~t.r: l.-i, Mrs. ( + . \ 
Smith. 

attend thi.s service : Uuion, Freetown, Solon, 
Virgil, Grotou, Mc(Trawville. Cortland. Homer, 
Triixtou and Marathon. Rev. J. S. Backus of 
Syracuse, N. Y.. was invited to attend and preach 
the sermon. The council met according to 
appointment on December 20, 1860, and was or- 
ganized by electing Rev. (t. H. Brighani modera- 
tor and Rev. Samuel S. Day, clerk. After listen- 
ing to the report of the organization of the 
church, the council decided that there ought to be 
a Baptist church in Marathon, and there is good 
rea-son to believe that tliis church has been formed 
by the will of God with a fair probabil- 
ity of continuance, efficiency and in- 
crea.se in membersliip and usefulness. 
Tlie services of recognition were as 
follows: After singing. Rev. G. Cross- 
man of Virgil led in prayer. The scrip- 
tur»^ lesstm was read by Rev. J. S. 
Ba<-kus of Syracuse from I Corinthians 
XII : 14-27. The text wa-s from the 14 to 
18 vcr.ses. Rev. A. Galpin of Freetown 
presented the Viand of fellowsliip to the 
pasror. Rev. Chauncey Darby, who gave 
the hand of fellowship to each member 
■ 'f tlie church. Rev. H. Bowen of Cort- 
land gave the charge to the church. 
-After prayer by Rev. (4. H. Brigham and 
singing by the congregation, the service 
was conclud(>d with the b('uedictioii by 
Rev. .1, S. Backus. .loseph (jonger and 
John Van Orsdale w"ero chosen as the 
first deacons. During the summer of 
ISCil a lot was purchased for $200 on tlic 
south side of Kast Main street nciirly 
opposite the M. E. Church, and a lious(^ 
of worship built costing .*;(>;)0. The 
cliurch services were lield in Peck's Hall 
from the organizatiim of the church un- 
til November 16, ISfU, when tlie new 
liouse of worship was ready for nciu- 
paiicy. The present postofHce building 
was erected and occupit^d for several 
years bj' the Baptist church of ]\lara- 
thon, N. Y. The church and congrtga- 
tiou began a healthy growth, and il soon 
became evident that a larger luiuse of 
worship was needed. At the annual 



meeting in January 1S70, a resolution 
was passed to appoint a committee of 
live bretliren to look for a lot upon 
which to build a larger house of wor- 
sliip. Brothers Russell Turner, Tlmmas 
Tiliiiigliast, Samuel Conger, Nelson 
( iardnerand R. M. Lovell wereai)poiiited 
:is sui'li committee with instructions to 
M'IMiii at a future meeting of the churcli 
:nnl sdciety. On August 33, ISTO, a 
-lii'itil meeting cif tlie iluirrh ami so- 
■ ntv was called tci lirar thr npiirt fnini 
Iln- iciniiuittee. Tlicy M-iiiiif,-il I hat llie 
liouse anil lot on East Main street known 
as the Ira L. Little property could be 
purchased for the new church building, 
and in the .iudgmeiit of the committee 
was the most suitaMr iilace to be found, 
and they recomiiieiKicl that it be pur- 
chased. The report ot the committee 
was accepted and they were instructed 
to make the purchase. In June, 1875, 
the first steps were taken toward build- 
ing a new church edifice. The plans 
and arrangements were not all com- 
pleted until the spring of IKTi;, when the 
■;irilen: ground Was broken and the erecticni of 
i' iV'w" ^^^ church begun. It was completed 
and dedicated February Vi. 1877, at a 
total cost of $12,1111. In the winter of 1887 and 
'88, through the efforts of Pastor A. H. Todd and 
others, a strenuous effort was made to pay the last 
dollar of indebtedness. The effort was crowned 
with success, and on the loth day of April, 1888, 
a .jubilee meeting was held to celebrate our de- 
liverance from the bondage of debt. The mem- 
bership at present is 85. The following brethren 
have served the church as pastors : Rev. Chauucy 
Darby, from November 18110 to April 18(12; Rev. 
H. W. Barnes, from April 1862 to August 1866; 
Rev. J. H. Sage, from December 1866 to April 
18(;!t; Rev. E. M. Blanchard, from A\>ri\ 186!l to 




isiK.Mi'.i-:i;s M.\i: \' 

1, H.P. Siiuires: -, Mi-. M:n^ i "^ 

Conrad' 3, Fred Sill i 111 n Mi- 1: 


I'll! IN 1 .1; ANC.K |Sri 

Il .;, •I'l-iiiiiali 1 -ih-h 

1 Mnilli ;, Mr-. 1 .1 


■S1(.,P. 6. 
1. Mrs. B. 

Mi-: S, Mrs. 


Mc(Tee: i), C S, llamiiP .ii.l : 1". 
Hannah Smith : 1-', Seward .stanle 


Ml-,. Marv lliii ii. 

v; i:|, Mrs. Eliza Stanl. 


il: 11, Mrs. 

•■.V. 



'GBIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 







MAIN STREKT, 1. 



April l.svl; Rev. Abner Lull, fjoiu May 1871 to 
May 1874; Rev. B. T. Davies, from January 1875 
to April 1877; Rev. A. Reynolds, supply, from 
May 1877 to November 1877; Rev. J. H. Sage, 
from January 1878 to May 1871t; Rev. J. H. 
Harris, from July 1879 to May 1880; Rev. D. J. 
Williauis, from January 1881 to September 188;i ; 
Rev. A. H. Todd, from April 1884 to April 18!tO; 
Rev. N. Richards, from June 18'.I0 to October 189! ; 
Rev. C. J. Pendleton, from November 1891 to No- 
vember 1892; Rev. O. L. Warren, from July 189:i 
to April 1897; Rev. E. B. Cornell, supply, from 
May 1897 to Augu.st 1897: Rev. E. B. Cornell, 
from September 1897 to July 1899; Rev. E. D. 
Hammond, from October 1899, 

(Sc- Pastor's Sk., P. .S.) 

Valley Rebeckah Lodge, No. is;!, I. (). O. F., 

was instituted December 38, 1890, by D. V). (t. M. 
Jennie M. (irittiths and her staff of officers from 
Cortland. There were 
fourteen charter mem- 
bers. The following were 
the first officers, viz. ; 
Noble (iraud, Ida Ayers ; 
Vice (Trand, Elsie- Vau- 
Vost ; Sec'y, Elda Van- 
Vost ; Financial Sec'y, 
Florence Allen; Treas., 
Anna McAlpine; War- 
den, Phoebi' Myers; Con- 
ductor, Minnie Spencer; 
Inside (iuard, Atla Cor- 
wiu: ( )utsiiie ( nuird. l)e- 
villo.Iohnson; R.S.N. (4.. 
Bessie Valentine: L. S. 
N. (;., AlidaOdgeu: R. 
S.V.(i., Alice Salisbury; 
L. S. V. ( ;., Mary Snnth ; 
Right Altar Support, Lena 
Bowdisli: Left Altar 
Supjjort, Ella Sali-sbury ; 
Chaplin, Mary VanVost : 
Past (Trand, Mariam 
Mack. Seventeen new 
members were initiated 
the first night. The 
meetings are held each 
alternate Tuesday in the 



I. O. of O. F. rooms in 
the Peck Block. The 
membership at the 
end of the year was 
twenty-three. Death 
has entered our midst 
once. Some have 
moved away, others 
dropped out, and the 
membership now is 
thirty-eight. The 
present officers are : 
Noble Grand, Alida 
Odgen; Vice Grand, 
Luella Miner; Sec'y, 
Elsie Van Vost ; Fi- 
nancial Sec'y, Grace 
Smith: Treas., Deli- 
liali Vnuk; Warden. 
Florence Allen ; Cou- 
dactor,Phoebe Myers ; 
Inside Guard, Ella 
Salisbury ; Outside 

(iuard, B. S. Brink: 

R. S. N. G., Alice Salisbury; L. S. N. (4., Bessie 
Valentine; R. S. V. G., Lillie McDonald; L. S. 
V. f4., Martha Sherwood; Right Altar Support, 
Linnie Burgess : Left Altar Support, Mary Smith : 
Ciiaplin, Atla (^^onvin : Past (iraud, Anna McAl- 
pine ; (Jrganist, Myrtle Miller; Drill Master, 
L. McAlpine. 

The Marathon Orange was organized in Janu- 
ary, 1882, at the home of John L. Smith. Fifteen 
farmers signed the call for a (4range, Init only 
thirteen convened, just the number required to 
fill the offices. W. W. Salisbury, of Little York, 
was organizer, and initiated the members in the 
degrees of the order. John L. Smith was elected 
Master ; Nicholas Winters, Overseer : Oi'sou Davis, 
Secretary; Dubois Montgomery, Lecturer: Aaron 




Johnson, Photo. THE PUBLIC SQUARE AND SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. 



■(GRIP'S- HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




A. Johnson, Photo 



COKTLAND STKEET, looking north from the bridge 



Philadelphia, the park 
surrouuding the Lin- 
coln monument, 
Springfielfl. Illinois, 
and the magnificent 
National Cemetery at 
(iettysbnr;,'. 

riarathon Union 
Fair— In 1X79 stock to 
'the amount of !|],100 
was subscribed for in 
shares of $10 eacli by 
the people of Mara- 
thon and vicinity of 
whicli 1250 was not 
paid in. ( (rounds were 
ftttcd up and at the 
end of the first season 
there was a small bal- 
lance in the treasury. 
The next season 
twenty notes for .f2.5 
each were given and 
a floral hall was built. 



Jennings, Treasurer. This grange has now 114 
members. Among the benefits derived from this 
organization I would place first its educational 
helps. No meeting is ever conducted without the 
Lecturer's hour when each member is given the 
privilege of a.sking questions or reading a paper, 
or a selection or of taking part in debate. Farmers 
and farmer's wives, sous and daughters bring to 
the grange the fruit of their experience, their suc- 
cess and their mistakes, and from both many a 
lesson has been imparted and received. Next I 
would name the social advantage derived from the 
(rrange. It is just what is needed to break the 
isolation of farm life. Those who planned the 
organization builded better than they knew when 
they admitted women to an equal voice and vote 
in the order, for they have proved tliiinsclves a 
source of strength and permam mr instead of 
discord and weakness. The tinamiiil advantages 
are many, one of 
these is the lower 
rates of fire insur- 
ance, then too, the 
(Jrange makes possi- 
ble organization for 
protection, like the 
F. S. M. P. A., and 
the power brought to 
bear upon legislators. 
Tlie Patrons of Hus- 
bandry, or (i range as 
it is more commonly 
known had no mean 
origin. Its founder, 
the late William 
Sanders, was for 
thirty-eight years su- 
perintendent of the 
experimental gardens 
and grounds of the 
United States Oepart- 
meut of Agricidturc. 
He wa.s the designer 
of Fairmount Park, 



These notes were not offered for collection be- 
cause the proceeds of the society settled the bill. 
In 18fe6 the society was in good condition, but 
three years later lack of support led to a discus- 
sion for dissolirtion of the society wliich resulte<l 
in a meeting of the stockholders held January IS, 
1889, to discuss the proposition. At the annual 
meeting Februaiy 5, the reports were encourag- 
ing and it was hoped to keep the association alive. 
Mes.srs. Ed. L. Adams, A. M. Johnson and J. R. 
Robinson were made a committee to solicit sub- 
scriptions. G. P. Squires offered the society good 
grounds for a term of years. But the society 
never afterwards held any meetings, their lease 
of the Brink place liaving expired. The average 
yearly receipts from all sources was $1,.500. 




•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 





C. E. BdYDEN, President of the Village. 

C. Eugene Boyden, the president of the vil- 
lage of Maratbou. was first elected to that position 
iu 18!"!. He was reelected in 1899 and 1900, 
having served as a member of the Board of Trus- 
tees in 1893, '94 and '95. During his executive 
terms several minor but desirable improvements 
have been made in the streets and, not least of aU, 
the village has during the past year voted to 
acquire an electric light plant which the president 
and his associates on the board were instrumental 
in getting into operation. Mr. Boyden is an active 
republican, sharing with others tlie honors of mak- 
ing and electing the local tickets. In recognition 
of his services he was invited to take the position 
of assistant postmaster in the State assemlily at 
Albany ,which he held 
in 1890, and afterward 
the more important 
post of assistant fi- 
nance clerk in the 
Assembly, which he 
occupied in 1895. In 
all mattei's which give 
promise of advancing 
tlie interests of the 
community he is ever 
a foremost advocate. 
The fire department 
has occupied much of 
his time and enlisted 
his hearty cooperation 
in making it one of 
the best of volunteer 
organizations. He was 
assistant chief two 
years aud chief engin- 
eer in 1897 aud '98. 
Mr. Boyden was born 
iu Marathon, March 
23, 1860. His father, 
Darius Boyden, for 
many years engaged 
in the village as 



wagon maker, having lived there since 1856. 
When 13 years old the subject of this sketch be- 
gan to earn his own living by working on farms 
and iu such other positions as were offered him. 
In 18TS he learned the trade of a barber of Charles 
Towl, and for sixteen months afterwards con- 
ducted a shop at Wliitney's Point. In March 
18S0 he bought out Towl aud for twelve years 
carried on the business iu Brown's hotel, the suc- 
ceeding eight years conducting a shop in the 
building now occupied by Freeman Allen's hotel. 
In Ajiril 190(1, liaving bought the property, he 
opened his ]iresent place of business where iu con- 
nection witli his trade he conducts a billiard hall 
and cigar store. On June 29, 1882 he married 
Agnes M. Moore of Hartford. Three children 
are living, Ulysses H., Lulu and Gladys. Mr. 
Boyden is a member of tlie Masonic order and 
trea,surer of tlie Marathon lodge. 

Rev. Ezra D. Hammond, pastor of the Baptist 
cliurch, educated himself for the pulpit aud plat- 
form and on lioth he has made an enviable repu- 
tation. As a pul>lic speaker he has appeared iu 
lecture courses thoroughly equipped to entertain 
and instruct. He has also written a great deal in 
verse for publications. Tlie Rev. Jlr. Hammond 
was born in Venice, Cayuga county, N. Y., No- 
vember IS, is.",,s, and was licensed by the Scipio 
Baptist chnrcli May o. isss, where he was located 
for tliree months "as a supply. The following 
winter he preached in Fleming, Cayuga county, 
N. Y., aud on May 1, 1891, was ordained at Rome, 
Pa., where he occupied the pulpit until May 1, 
1893, when he went to Newark Valley, N. Y., 
and served as pastor until coming to Marathon in 
October, 1899. (_)u .lune 28, 1899, he was married 
to Miss .Jessie Perry of Bingha-iiton. N. Y. 

The First Presbyterian Church of Marathon 
was organized February 11, 1814, with the follow- 
ing members: Aaron Benedict and liis wife, 
Betsy ; Horace Sedgewick and his wife, Martha ; 
.lames Royce aud his wife, Clarissa. The organ- 
ization of the society was not perfected until Feb- 
ruary 8, 11S31, at which time the follciwiug were 
elected trustees: C. Comstock, Charles (4enird. 
Merodeth Havens, .Jesse Storrs, Mausoii Carley 




A. Jolinson, Photo. 



C. E. BOVDEN'S RESIDENCE. 



(tRIP'S" historical souvenir of marathon 



aud William Church. Tlie building as originally 
erected stood near the south line of what is now 
the public green. Main street then pursued a 
more northerly course, but was later laid out as it 
is at present. lu 187li the churrli was moved 
back so as to stand iu line with the others aud 
give place to the present public green. It was 
afterwards refitted at a cost of .^4,000, and during 
the past year beautified with new decorations and 
is now a comfortable and attractive church home. 
Through the ettorts of the Rev. J. G. Miller, D. 
D., who was the pastor, the churcli iu 18S2, was 
presented witli a most beautiful communion 
service by Mr. aud Mrs. Hcnrj- Read of Philadel- 
phia, Pa. The stated clerks of the church from 
its organization : Horaci' Sedgewick, Luther 
Keyes, Jesse Storrs, John M. Roe, Jerome Hul- 
bert, n. E. Whitmore aud J. H. Hammond. Tlie 



Session — Burgess Squires, John Taylor, Martin 
Brooks, Edward Hayes, Harris Hammond and 

Clark Mack. 

The Salibath School meml)ership under the 
efficient leadership of Siiperiiir<'iuU'nt L. McAl- 
piue has attained a nieiiibcrshii) of 187. The 
amount of moneys raised l\v tlie .-irhool last year 
aggregated sometliiug like $40(1. 

Rev. J. H. F. Blue, A. H., D. D., has preached 
in Marathon with marked success for the past tliree 
years, making many friends outside as well as 
among his congregation. A vigorous speaker and 
thorough with his subjects witli a pleasant address, 
he has made a reputation as a platform as well as 
a pulpit speaker. Dr. Blue was born in the Pro- 
vince of Quebec, October 17, 18(i5, a descendant 
of Highland Scotch parentage. From the district 
schools he went into St. F'rancis college at Rich- 
mond, Quebec, where he prepared for uuiversity 




. S. Dellow, Photos. 
Cabinet and Chairs 



('. B. BOVDKN'S BARBKK SHOI» AM> UlLi.IAliU Uo 
Ciyar and Tohaco* l)fpt 



full list of pastors and respective periods of mini- 
stration are as follows: Rovs. John Davenport, 
181.5 !(!; Reuben Herd. 181(;-1«; Mr. Hitchcock, 
1818-20; Matthew Harrison, lsa:!-2'.>; Mr. Luce, 
18:!1 ; .Tamos PJakeslee, ismnr,; Mr. Johnston, 
18:!(>: Mr. Kinnev, I8:i7; Peleg R. Kinnc, 18:i7-.'i8; 
William Bradford, 18:i9-4:i; J. A. Aveiy, 1844-47; 
P. Terry, 1S4S-52; E. Scovill, 18."):i-.V): John Peck, 
1856-(;0; H. Lyman, 1800-72; J. McMaster, 1872- 
7:i; J. C. Smith, 187.5-70; F. H. Hiunum, 1S7S-81: 
J. S. Miller, D. D., 1881-8;i; J. F. McLaurv, iss:!- 
8.5; S. W. Brown, 188.5-88; J. L. Howard, 1S8'.)- 
1)0 ; Smitli Ordway, I8'.K)-!i:!; B. B. Knapp, 1S!)4- 
'.)(>; R. H. Merrill, 18i)7-!l8; J. H. K. Blue. D. I)., 
IS'.IS. The following are the prest^ut officers of 
the church: Board of Trustees — Dr. W. Spencer, 
Harry P. Squires aud Scott Burgess; Members of 



training, and after having taken the Mctiill B. A. 
course he entered Morrin college and prepared for 
the I'resbyterian ministry, being ordained iu the 
city of Toronto. He preached in St. Andrew's 
church (Churcli of Scotland), Montreal, as a 
supply. Then followed the ]iiistorates at Balti- 
more, Md., Haverhill, Mass., and Philadelphia, 
accepting the call from tlii> Presbyf<'rian church 
at Marathon while engaged in the latter city — a 
.smaller field of labor then being desired owing to 
poor health. While iii Philad(>lphia he was 
iKmored by Rutherford University, North Caro- 
lina, with the degree of Mastia- of Artsaiid Doctor 
of Divinity. Dr. Blue was married to Annah Eg- 
glinton in Quebi'c, November 28, 18.s;). Their 
(Oiildren are Mildred, Malcolm, Gladys and Ma- 
rion. 



10 



'GKIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



The Climax Road Machine Company was or- 
iginaJly organized as a co-partuership on October 
14, 18.S7, A. S. Manning of Auburn, N. Y., Wil- 
liam Clark of Union, N. Y., and O. F. Piuokney of 
Center Li.sle, N. Y., associating themselves with 
C. E. Kilpatrick, then of Marathon. The pur- 




pose of the company was to manufactui'e and sell 
the Climax Road Machine, a new invention, 
possessing many advantages and meritorious fea- 
tui-es not then known to users of road grading 
machinery. The exchisive right to manufacture 
this machine belonged to the company under 



letters patent. Its first officers were, A. S. Man- 
ning, president ; William Clark, secretary and 
treasurer; O. F. Pinckuey, manager and C. E. 
Kilpatrick, superintendent. The plant of tiie 
Stockwell Wagon Company, just going out of 
business, was leased and subsequently purchased. 
On November 19, ISIIO, Mr. 
Kilpatrick withdrew from 
the company. In 1892 the 
agitation for good roads had 
fairly begun, and it was seen 
that a broader field for road 
building machinery was 
opening. An opportunity 
presented itself to acquire 
the patents for a portable 
crusher for crushing stone 
for macadam roads, and de- 
siring to add other branches 
to its line of manufacture, 
tile company was incorpo- 
. rated on January 28, 18!>8, 
. with a capital stock of $250,- 
2; 000. Its first officers under 
<£ the incorporation were : A. 
C S. Manning, president ; Ed. 
§ L. Adams, vice president; 
<; O. F. Pinckney, secretary 
^ and treasurer; C. A. Mc- 
a Alpine, superintendent. On 
^- the 1 7th day of May, 1894, 
W its shops were destroyed by 
^ fire. During that summer 
^ the works were rebuilt, a 
33 picture of tlie new shops 
p being given on this page. 
" These sliops are equipped 
S tliroughout with new and 
" improved machinery, which 
5 has been added to, as occa- 
< siou has required until now 
^ the company's factory is a 
3 model in its way. Its annual 
O output is from 120 to 125 
^ stone crusiiing machines, up- 
'^ ward of 200 road machines, 
g besides various other road- 
ie building and earth-handling 
■j tools. In 1X96 the Board of 
S Directors was increased by 
^ the addition of two direc- 
tors, making the number 
seven instead of five; and 
some other slight clianges 
were made in the articles of 
incMirporation. Its officers 
were then: F. H. Swift, 
presidt'Ut; W A. Brink, vice 
president; T. R. Clark, sec- 
retary and treasurer ; O. F. 
Pinckney, manager. Since 
,-, its incorporation tlie busi- 
s ne.ss of the company has 
^ greatly expanded, and during 
^ the past year it has slii)iiied 
g its products to points in the 
o United States as wide apart 
™ as Maine and Texas, and the 
name of Marathon has been 
carried upon its wares to the island possessions of 
Porto Rico,Cuba and the Sandwich Islands. From 
year to year it has perfected its products until to- 
day its manufactures in the form of road ma- 
chines, stone crushers, distributing wagons and 
road rollers, are couceeded to be equal to, if not the 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



11 




J(_)HN H. MILLER. 
best, road niakiufj machinery iu the United States. 
The company ofcupies two large buildings of brick, 
one 2S0 feet in length and the other 320 feet long. 
Beside these are a number of smaller wooden 
buildings, detached, and used for storage of pat- 
terns, material and fuel. The main shops are as 
nearly fire proof as it is possible to make them. 
A pleasant, commodious, and well-equipped office 
building adjoins tlie works. The company occu- 
pies a plot of nearly four acres, lying between 
Academy street and the raOroad. Its officers dur- 
ing 19(10 were: F. H. Swift, president: A. S. 
Manning, vice president ; W. A. Brink, secretary; 
T. R. Clark, treasurer. 

John H Miller was born iu the town of Louis- 
ville, St. Liiwrence county, New York, on the 7th 



day of July, 1MJ!». He 
school of his native vil- 
lage until he was seven- 
teen years of age, when 
he entered the Potsdam 
State Normal .school, 
from which he gradu- 
ated in the classical 
course. He began the 
study of law with .ludge 
John A. Vance at Pots- 
dam in the spring of 
18'.I2; was special surro- 
gate's clerk uuderJndgo 
Vance until the full of 
1893 when he went to 
theUniversityof Michi 
gan and took a two 
yestrs' course at that 
institution in one year, 
graduating in 1S'.)4 with 
the degree of LL. B. 
Mr. Miller was admitted 
to both the circuit and 
supreme courts of 
Michigan in 18".I4. He 
taught school in Che- 



attended the district 



nango county during the school year 1894-5, and 
iu January 189G was admitted to the New York 
State bar at a regular term of the Appellate Divi- 
sion of the Supreme Court held at Albany. He 
came to Marathon in May of the same year, hav- 
ing bought the law library and business of A. M. 
Jlathewson, whom he succeede<l. He was mar- 
ried on the 2nd day of June, 1897, to Miss Jessie 
A. Arnold of McDonough, N. Y., who was at that 
time principal of the senior intermediate depart- 
ment of the Marathon High school. He was ad- 
mitted to practice in both the district and the 
circuit courts of the LTuited States at Utica, No- 
vember 4th, 18SI,S. His work consists of practice 
iu U. S., Bankruptcy and in all State courts. He 
resides in the two story Clark house on Cortland 
street. By strict attention to business he has 
built up for himself a lucrative and steadily in- 
creasing practice. 

The Killowog Fire, '88 — At noon on Friday, 

August 10, 18SS, while the workmen were at 
dinner, fire was discovered in the roof of Twing 
R. Hitts' saw mill. Sparks in showers fired the 
adjacent residences — at one time as many as thir 
teen dwellings and the school house — and the 
whole village worked vigorously and etfectively 
with buckets. The Marathon fire department 
was hurried to the rescue, Clinton .Tolmsou's 
double team drawing his wagon full of firemen 
with the steamer in tow, and Mart Hyde's horse 
and cart towing the hose cart. Large crowds of 
Marathon peopli/ hurried to Killawog, the roads 
being lined with tennis. The mill, machinery 
and lumber inside were destroyed. The mill was 
twenty-three years old and had twice before 
caught fire, it was a terrible hot fire and that 
the village was not destroyed was a miracle. 

The First Spiritualist was Augustus, the 
youngest son of Barnabas Wood, who settled in 
Marathon in ISOS. Augustus claimed to hold 
communication with unseen spirits. He died a 
public charge. 




t-Koy Wilco.x, Photn 



,T()HX H. .Mll.LKK'S LAW OFFICK. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




MRS. MARY 8. HULBERT. 



GEORGE A. HULBERT 



George A. Hulbert, who was oue of Marathon's 
most prominent and useful citizens, was born at 
Trustou, N. Y., in is33 and was a son of Timothy 
Hulbert, a prominent and wealthy farmer who 
came to Truxtou from Massachusetts about 1810 
and died May 20, 1848, leaving a family of six sous 
and one daughter. George A. Hulbert received a 
liberal education. He commenced the study of law 
iu the office of Hon. Daniel Hawks, for- 
merly county judge of Cortland county, 
continuing later in the law ottices of Hon. 
Horatio Kullard at Cortland and Hon. 
Charles Mason, Justice of the Supreme 
Coui't at Hamilton, Madison county. For 
advanced legal study he was a year at the 
law school at Ballston Spa, finishing the 
course at the Albany Law School. He 
was admitted to the bar in 1,S.54. For a 
few years he engaged in the practice of 
law,fii-.st iu New York State and later at 
Chicago, 111. ; but later Inisiness changes 
brought him to Onondaga county where 
he was engaged in mercantile business 
for a few years. In 1804 he finally lo- 
cated at Marathon and with four of his 
brothers engaged iu the wholesale pro- 
duce business under the firm name of 
William Hulbert & Brothers, witli head- 
(|uarters in New York city, George A., 
and his brotlier, Jerome, at Marathon 
having charge of the purcha.sing. The 
business prospered and the firm became 
leaders iu the butter and cheese business 
iu New York and each member of the 
firm accumulated a fiue fortune. The 
firm continued for over thu-ty years and 
until the death of the three older broth- 
ers. After the death of Jerome, George 
A. discontinued the produce business 
and resumed the practice of law which 
he continued until his death March 12, 
I'.lOO. George A Hulbert was a man of 
more than ordinary ability and very 
studious. He was honorable aud 
straightforward iu all of Ins dealings 
aud very courteous aud kind to all wiio 
came in contact with him. No citizen 
had the confidence of his fellow citizens 



to a greater extent and he was often 
called to act as executor or administra- 
tor of the estates of deceased persons, 
and in that capacity his integrity and 
excellent business instincts and careful 
management were always noticeable 
and proved to be of great value. 
Though not one to put himself forward 
or ask for the suffrages of the people, he 
was always found a safe and di.sinte- 
rested assistant in the party councils and 
served for many years on the town and 
county committees. He was also chosen 
to represent his town in the Board of 
Supervisors aud was six times chosen 
Justice of the Peace, serving in the latter 
capacity twenty-three years. During 
all that time the honesty and justice of 
his decisions was unquestioned, and the 
systematic and methodical manner in 
which he kept the records of his oflice 
and the dignity witli which he presided 
and the order that he insisted upon in 
his court, tended to raise the standard 
of the office in the county at large. He 
insisted upon the same courtes.v and de- 
corum as is expected iu courts of record, 
and causes were argued before him and 
briefs submitted as in other courts. His 
law library as well as his literay library 
one of the best iu this section. He 
always liberal and helpful iu church 
and public matters and entirely without osten- 
tati(m, but while always willing to do more than 
his own share iu sucli matters he believed iu 
protecting the rights of all other persons to act in 
such matters according to tlieu- own consciences. 
He added much to the beauty of Marathon village 
by removing from the best business corner on 



was 
was 




F. S. Dilluw, Photo. HULBERT OPERA HOUSE BLOCK, Erected 
by George Hulbert— Improved by Mary S. Hulbert. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




THE RAILWAY HOTEL. .1. M. Lynoli, Prup. 



Main street an old aud unsightly building and in 
place of it erecting in lsS6 a fine three stoiy brick 
business block of 70 feet front aud 55 feet depth. 
The lower floor has three roomy aud pleasant 
stores aud the second floor was in part Mr. Hul- 
burt's residence aud the rest was made iuto 
pleasant offices. The third tioor was a public hall 
with a fine stage and scenery aud otherwise well- 
equipped. The use of this hall has beeu given 
free for all public entertainments in recent years. 
He al.so on Main street in 1898 in place of a ruin- 
ous dwelling erected one of the handsomest resi- 
dences of the village. Pictures of the block and 
ri'sidence appear in this book. There are also 
other dwellings in town whicli were improved by 
him. Mr. Hulbert married Mary, only daughter 
of liichard and Mary Hinkley Smith, formerly of 
Fabius, N. Y., but also of Massachusetts stock, 
Richard Smith liaving formerly been one of the cel- 
elirated sea captains of New Bedford, Mass. Mrs. 
Hnlliert, who survives her husband, occupies the 
residence jMirtion of the block. She is one of the 
finest musiiiaus in Central New York. Her 
taste for music was given wide range divring Iku- 
husband's life and 
their devotion to each 
otlier's comforts aud 
ha])piness during his 
life was beautiful. 
Tlieir home was al- 
ways a pleasant spot 
for people of refine- 
ment and connois- 
seurs in music, and 
both workcfi togetlier 
in tlie interest of the 
Methodist church of 
which they were re 
gular attendants aiiH 
where Mrs. Hulbert 
was the organist for 
several years. Mrs. 
Hulbert is continuiriL'' 
liiT husband's jilaiis 
I'nr iiiiiirovemcnt nl 
the property aud 
tlierchy ndding'ld tlie 
priispiTity and a))i)ear- 
aiire nf the village. 
The recent improve- 
ments made by her in 
lowering the floors of 



the block and other 
changes contemplated 
by him, liave not only 
added to the value 
and appearance of the 
property but will rank 
as public improve- 
ments. 

The Fire Depart- 
ment— [By J.W. Liv- 
ingston ] — Early in the 
year ISfiT, G. L. Swift, 
one of the most active 
promoters of the fire 
department, with sev- 
eral other business 
men of the village, 
arranged and success- 
fully carried through, 
an entertainment by 
which the sum of |350 
was raised to create 
a funrl to buy some 
Itiud of a nuichine 



for fire protection. A .special election was held on 
the ITth day of May, 18(57, at which time a resolu- 
tion was adopted, authoriziug the village of Mara- 
thon to raise by tax in tlie year 1867 the sum of |350 
to add to the fund already provided by the citizens, 
for the purpose of buying a fire engiue. It was 
ascertained that a hand fire engine aud hose cart 
were for sale in the city of Syracuse, and on Octo- 
ber 3, 1867, by the authority of a resolution of the 
board of trustees, the president of the village of 
Marathon made the purchase. On the 10th day of 
October, 18G7, a company was duly organized to 
be known as ''Eagle Fire Co. No. i, of Marathon, 
N. Y." The following officers were elected: 
Foreman, A. H. Barber ; Asst. Foreman, R. R. 
:\Iaybury ; Sec'y, F. I. Maybury. On the 15th 
day i)f the same month the following named 
pi-rsous were appointed as members of the new 
company: A. H. Barber, L. S. Burch, R. E. Ed- 
w:irds. Corwin Burgess, C. H. Ford, Wiuslow 
Mavnard, Buruham Hunt, W. M. Griffith, A. L. 
Burgess, E. B. Husted. J. H. McDoweU, F. F. 
Tompkins, D. D. Hunt, M. L. Hawley, Jas. S. 
Burgess, Ed. H. Barnes, B. T. 'Wright, Ed. O. 
Carley,W.'W. Powers, D. B. Tripp, J. Q. Adams, 



/ 




mw 



F. S. DcUow, Photo. KESIDENCE OWNED BY MRS. MAKY HLH^BEKT 

Tlie Old Corner Store Removed and Altered into a residence and oflice aeconi- 
niodations by George A. Hulbert. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 







KUIN8 OP THE CLIMAX BUILDINCtS. Burned May 17. 1894, 
Photo loaned by E. L. Adams.] 

R. D. Mack, E. B. Burgess, Theo. H. Roe, Duauo 
Burgess, Jas. Liviug.stoii, Jr., F. I. Maybury, (). 
H. Smith, R. R. Mavburv, Chas. Huut, Chester 
Nichols, J. H. Tripp", C. C. Adams. G. L. Swift, 
John Liviugstou, J C. Gray, J. W. Sc-houteu, 
Jas. Liviugstou, Sr., D. A. Mack, Smith Sher- 
wood, D. O. Lynde, Hiraui Coue, Geo. R. Bur- 
gess, Jerome PoHard, E. D. Baker, C. G. Briuk, 
F. M. Taylor. 

(_)u the authority of a special election of the vil- 
lage of Marathon, held on the 9th day of Novem- 
ber, 1867, at which the sum of $(>00 vyas voted for 
the purpose, additional hose and otlier equip- 
ments were purchased for the fire engine and hose 
cart. A resolution was also adopted authorizing 
the trustees to provide a suitable building for the 
use of the Are company and the tire apparatus. 
Accordingly a lot was secured where M. H. Allen's 
blacksniitli shop now stands, and a two story 
building was erected, Nichols Brothers seciu-ing 
the contract for building it. The lower floor was 
used for the hand engine, hose cart and e(iuip- 
ments, and the second story was fitted up for the 
use of the company. It was afterwards moved 
across the street where it is now owned and occu- 
pied by Ed. L. Adams. 

The early liistory of Eagle Fire Company No. 1 
called for a great deal of tact, energy and perse- 
verance in meeting and overcoudug the many dis- 
Cduragcnients wliicli presented fhemsclves. By 
persistent and united efforts on tlie part of officers 
and Miembcrs a strong and successful organization 
was established and 

has been maintained ■ — ^j- 

for many years. By a 
resolution of the board 
of trustees of the vil- 
lage of Marathon, a 
parade and inspection 
of the fire company 
wasappointed for Fri- 
day, Septcmlier 15. 
1871. New uniforms 
consisting of cap, l)elt 
and red jacket had 
been recently ])urchas- 
ed by the company. 
and the hand engine 
and liose cart had been 
uewly painted. At a 
meeting of the board 
of trustees held Octo- 
ber :i, 1S71, the fol- 
lowing report was 
adopted : ' 'In accord- 
ance with a resolution 

passed by the trustees, a. .lolinson Photo. BIRDSEYE OF MARATHON, Fro 
the fire company pa- (See Birdseyes on pages Sands 



raded for in.spectiou 
on the 15th day of 
September, 1871. Ow- 
ing to the foul weather 
the program intended 
could not be fully car- 
ried out, but the com- 
pany came out and 
paraded the streets a 
short time, sliowiug 
good discipline and 
numerical strength. 
Then they set their 
'machine' and showed 
theirphysical strength 
by throwing a splen- 
did stream of water 
195 feet. It give.s us 
great pleasure to re- 
port to our townsmen 
that we have a fire 
company numbering about 60, which in point of 
well built, nmscular and intelligent men, many 
a town of greater pretentions than ours might 
be justly proud to obtain. Their uniforms are 
new and combine elegance and utility. * * * 
In a word, the company, engine and e(iuipment 
are all a discriminating public ought reasonably 
to desire." 

In 1874, to the Eagle Fire Company No. 1, was 
betjueathed the sum of |200 for their use by Mrs. 
William Wiles of Marathon, N. Y. Being in 
need of a fire bell tlie company at once appropri- 
ated the money for the purchase of a bell which 
was placed in position the first of December, 1n74, 
in a tower recently built on a comer of the fire- 
men's building. In bssi) it was transferred to the 
new Corporation building where it is still in ser- 
vice. On December 1, 1X74, the board of trustees 
of the village of Marathon, passed the following 
resolution, viz : "Resolved, that the fire organ- 
ization of this village now known as Eagle Fire 
Company No. I. shall be known as Maratlum Fire 
Department and the officers of the de])artment 
shall consist of a chief engineer and an assistant 
engineer, who shall be appointed annually by the 
board of trustees upon the recommendation of the 
companies composing the department." 

A. H. Barber was appointed Chief Engineer. 
Wallace Kelley was appointed Assistant Chief 
Engineer. 

Among the many fires at which the hand en- 
gine was the only means of protection, might be 




1 East Hill, looking a 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



15 



uoticed: Tlie burning of Phillips & Bentley's 
tanutTvon October .">, 1S74; the ilestnictiou of the 
Burgess block, the Central market and Brown's 
hotel. August 7, IfSTT: the burning of the Hazeu 
block, the Smith block and Mack's hardware 
store, September, 4, 1884; and the fii'e at John 
Duuphy's tannery, October 1, 188"). 

In the summer of 1889, the year which witnessed 
several improvements in the village a Clapp & 
Jones steam fire engine was purchased, wliich lias 
done good service for the village. The Corpora- 
tion building not be- 
ing large enough to 
accommodate the new 
steamer, thenewbuild- 
ing was erected, the 
third floor being fitted 
up for the company 
rooms. It was also 
during thisyear(188i)) 
that Eagle Fire Com- 
pany No. 1 , whicli had 
so successfully main- 
tained an organization 
since 18()7, was dis- 
banded. It had faith- 
fully and successfully 
fulfilled its mission 
and demonstrated u))- 
on many occasions the 
truth of its motto, en- 
graven upon the sides 
of the hand engine : 
"We fight to conquer, 
for the public good." 
But few volunteer fire 
departments, especi- 
ally in the smaller 
villages, can show a 
better record than 
they did for faithful 
and efficient service 
to I he call of duty. A 
number of prizes in 
the posses.siou of the 
tire department today 
iiidicatethat thatcom- 
1 )any was as successful 
in competing in hand 
engine contests as in 
fighting fire. 

In place of EagleFire 
Company No. 1, two 
separate companies were organized, known as .A . 
H. Barber Hose Company No. 3, and Steamer 
( Company No. 2. These companies have continued 
the good work of fighting fire and have been (^ver 
l)rcimpt and faitliful in the discharge of their 
duties. 

The steamer continued to be our chief fire pro- 
tection until 1897, when it seemed that another 
advanced step in the line of improvc^ment in fight- 
ing fire was necessary, and a system of water 
works, owned by the village was b(^gun, and com- 
plcti'd 111 till- spring of 1898. This has pnictically 



taken the place of the hand engine and the 
steamer and tlieii- services are no longer needed. 
The companies comprising the Marathon Fire De- 
partment at the present time are, A. H. Barber 
Hose Company No. 3, composed of twenty- five 
men and organized in November, 1889, and Cli- 
max Ho.se Company No. 3, (are-organization of 
Steamer Company No. 2), organized in April. 
1900, composed of twenty-five men. The depart- 
ment is .succf^ssfully performing its duties under 
the leadership of C. S. Myers, Chief Engineer. 






-^ 


1 

i 

i 




TWO GREAT FLOODS. 
N(i 1— Flciod Fell. 14. INIB, from east shore ( loaned bv C. E. Boyde 



. platfoi-i 



flood, lo 



. "Burgess i 

1 House (I). B. Trilipl. 

Livingston Fire, '66 — Th(^ saw mill of James 
Livingston, wliich stood on Hunt creek a ([Uiirter 
of a mile east of thii village, was burned ou the 
night of May '2, ISGIi. Daniel E. Green made 
cheese bo.xes in one part of the building. The loss 
was complete, about $:!,">00. Eleven years later 
Mr. Livingston's saw mill at Messengerville was 
burned. 

The First Butter iiuide at the Marathim cream- 
ery was <-liurned May 13, 1884 The creiimery 
ojiened May (i when milk was received from 135 
cows. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 





AMY BRINK. 



CHESTER BRINK 



Abraham Brink asceudedthe Tionghnioga river 
with his wife aud oue child and their effects in 
cauoes in the spring of 1799 aud found oue family 
near where he settled, John Hunt, who came 
three years earlier. There were no direct roads 
leadiug from Binghamtou to this place theu. Mr. 
Briuk had a squatter's title to 109 acres, a part of 
a claim which his father had purchased and given 
to him. [See "Marathon Squatter" on the uext 
page]. In the fall of that year Abraham se- 
lected a site for a dwelling which is now 
near the centre of Broome street in front 
of the Briuk homestead, very close to the resi- 
dence of D. B. Tripp (1900), aud within a few 
rods of the principal business corner of Marathon 
village. It was there that he aud Zechariah 
Squires built a double log house. The latter 
nian-ied Mr. Brink's sister. In 1801 Zechariah 
Squires moved his 
effects into the house 
with the Brinks where 
he lived untd he had 
prepared the home- 
which he shortly after 
moved into on tln' 
west side of the rivrr. 
In 1814 Mr. Brink au.l 
five or six neighbors — 
the heads of all tli>' 
Marathon families- 
journeyed to Albany 
to confirm their "pos- 
session purchases, "the 
land having then been 
placed in the market. 
His grandson, J. L. 
Brink, has the patent 
wliich was granted tn 
Abraham Brink, in- 
cluding a small piece 
of two or three acres 
in additionto his origi- 
nal holdings which he 
had taken to insure a 
site for his buildings, 
iu case otlier claims 
should be foTjnd to 
precede the original 



holdings. This patent is dated March 
31, 1814 for "sub-division No I, lot 
No. 82, township of Cincinnatus, Mili- 
tary tract," aud gives clear title to 109 
acres. It is signed by Daniel T. Tomp- 
kins, governor, aud Archibald Camp- 
bell, .secretary of state. As settlers 
began to arrive public house conven- 
iences were desirable, and so Abraham 
Briuk opened his home to the weary 
traveler. This was the only tavern 
in Mai-athon until 1883, when David 
Peck built one aud Abraham Brink's 
son, Chester, closed the old house for 
public entertainment. In 1818, when 
the township of Harrison was erected 
(now Marathon), Abraham Brink 
acted as postmaster. His commission 
from President Mouroe, received 
later, is dated December 27, 1822. 
Abraham Brink lived iintil March 2, 
1S24, when he died in his 52nd year. 
His wife was Ruth Lyons, whom he 
married in Binghamtou and who died 
May 36, ls44, aged 68 years. Their 
children were: Sarah, who died Jan- 
uaiy 14, IS.'ie, 36 years of age; Mer- 
sena, wedded to George E. Peck, who 
moved to lUinois in 1836 and died at Greenwich, 
O., in 1891, in her 92ud year; Chester died Oc- 
tober 1. 1X74, beiug 72 years of age August 17th 
of tha;t year; Auu, who married Washington G. 
Johnson and died November 2, 1842, aged 37 years ; 
Alzina, wedded to Marvin Atwater, who died in 
Greenwich, O., March 16, 1S86, 74 years old; Ab- 

ram, died July 27, , aged 12 years; Clarissa, 

who married Philander Peck and died in Chicago, 
December 22, 1884 aged 68. 

Chester and Amy Brink lived aud died in 
the Briuk homestead, uow o\vned and occupied 
by their son, J. Lawrence Brink — the place which 
Chester's father, Abraham, settled and where he 
lived up to the time of his death. The latter had 
seven children (see Abraham Brink's sketch) of 
which Chester was the third. When Chester and 




OFFICERS MARATHON TENT, KNIGHTS OP MACCABEES. 
1. L. B. M(! Alpine, Sir K P. C. 2. Z.S. Pierce, Sir K. C. 



[See Sk., P. 17. 

. Watrows, Sir K. 

H. H Turner, Sir K. R. K. v,. Earl Butterfield. Sir K. Chap. (i. E. E. MiUer, 

Sir K. Sere. T. R. I,. Smith. Sir K. Phy. s. F. E. Youngs, Sir K. M. at A. 9. Leolin 

Braman, Sir K. 1st M. nt t.i. 111. Arthur Hall. Sir K. 2nd M. of G. 11. George Berger, 

.Sir K. S. 12. Walter Braman, Sir K. P. 13. L. F. Valentine, D. G. C. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



liis wife succeeded to the home they foimd it to 
be a popular public hostelry, having been opeu to 
tnivelers for more than twenty years. They con- 
tinued to cater to the public until David Peck 
liad built his hotel in lsy;i. although botli were 
reluctant to "keep tavern'' on account of tlieir 
opposition to the sale of liquor. Chestrr Brink 
w;is an excellent farmer, careful and choice of his 
stock, orderly in and about his premises and very 
particular to give the farm the best sort of culti- 
vation. He was a strong admirer of honses. No 
man raised and sold better ones in those da\ s. 
His farm was liis pride — liis best monument. He 
was upright and of a sunny disposition. Amy 
was tlie daughter of Charles Gerard and was an 
attectiouate and good hearted woman — a kind 
mother and helpful wife. They had seven cliild- 
ren of whom the survivors are: Abram L. Brink 
of Warren, 111., born January i, ls->'.); Mrs Bur- 
gess (Caroline) Squires, born February 'ii, 1.S3I ; 



surveyed by the State, William Brink, whose 
farher was a captain at the Wyoming, Pennsyl- 
vania, massacre bouglit the 'possession' or 'squat- 
ter's' rights to this tract. Tlie State had not 
then begun to put its lands in the market and uo- 
biidy kiirw the real value of a '.scjuatter's right.' 
Tills purchase was made in IT'JS, the price paid 
being iifW. :Mr. Brink sold SO acres off the south 
end which was part of what was afterwards the 
Mallory farm to Mr. Alford for $->0 00 and the 
balance of the same farm he gave to his son, 
Abraham in ITS'.i. The remainder of the squat- 
ter's tract he gave to his youngest sou, John 
Brink, in 1.S14. It was upon this piece where 
every year William Brink made maple sugar, 
coming up from Bmghamton and returning with 
Ills cargo of sugar in a canoe. All of these sales 
were of course purely possession sales. This 
meant that the purchasers paid for the option on 
the laud when it should be placed in the market 





Mtss^^^sm-' 



A. Johnson, Photos. 



Brink, liis 

Mrs. Albert (Antoinette) Carter, born July '.^4, 
18;SS, and J. Lawrence Brink, born November 1, 
18411. of Marathon, and Charles G. Brink of Port 
Dickinson, N. Y., bom January 17, 18:i(;. J. Law- 
rence Brink, who still retains the old homestead 
to which he succeeded his father, was born No- 
vember 1, 184!). He was first married to Alice 
Mulvihill of, Marathon, and to his second wife, 
Martha Sheldon, nf Dryden, August 21, 188S. 

The Marathon "Squatter"— William Scpiires, 
one of the tildest settlers who became bliiul before 
his death related the following, which was written 
down by J. I;. Brink : "An old trai)per from Union 
(near Binghamton) in 17(12 put a 'ixissession' fenc(! 
around :!00 acres of State land between the 'salt' 
road (one-half mile ea.st) and the river including 
what is now the greater part of the vUIage on the 
east side of the river. Soon after the county was 



H\M HIMNK liuMKSTEAD— Now the Property and Ki' 
: ^Tandson. 



by the State. .John Brink settled on this trad 
the year he received the gift of possession from 
his fatlier." 

Marathon Tent No. 582, K. O. T. M., was in- 
stituted .January 1), 1899. by Deputy Great Com- 
mander W. E. Spangle, assisted by Sir Kniglit 
William Schoolcraft. After a few mrinths for 
various reasons the membership had decreased 
until it was found necessarv to rtnirganize. On 
July 2Sth, J)(!puty Great ('(imniaiKUu- R. W. Mur- 
ray reorganized tlie tent witli tlie following offi- 
cers: Sir Knight (!om., L. F. Valentine: Su- 
Knight Lieu. Com., H. H. Robin.son ; Sir Knight 
Pfust Com., L. B. McAlpine : Sir Knight R. & P. 
K., H. H. Turner; Sir Kniglit Physician, R. L. 
Smitli, M. D. : Sir Knight M. at A., J. R. Bow- 
man; Sir Knight Sargeant. J. C. Watrous ; Sir 
Knight 1st M. of (;., Isaac Borger ; .Sir Knight 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




MKS. CAROLINE BRINK SQUIRES. BURGESS SQUIRES, 
;2ufl M. of (t., George Berger; Sir Knight Senti- 
nel, O. M. Grain; Sir Knight Picket, Clyde Con- 
rad. The tent is in a flourishing condition at tlie 
present writing with a membership of tliirty-one 
who know that in times of sickness or distress 
they will be amply provided for. A new and 
beautiful paraphernalia is aboiit tobe purcliased for 
the degree team to exemplify tlie impi'essive aud 
beautiful ritualistic work of the order. The re- 
views are held every alternate Friday evening at 
G. A. R. Hall, where a cordial invitation is ex- 
tended to all Sir Knights to meet with them. 
The officers for the present term are : Sir Kniglit 
Com., Z. S. Pierce; Sir Knight Lieu. Com., J. ('. 
Watrous; Sir Knight Past Com., L. B. Mc Alpine ; 
Sir Kniglit R. & F. K., H. H. Turner; Sir Knight 
Physician, R. L. 



store and a tavern and all the rest of the 
village comprised the few homes of farm- 
ers or those employed by farmers except- 
ing of course the old saw and grist mills 
and the blacksmith and wagon shop. 
Tlieir grandfathers came to Marathon 
by canoe and their fathers helped clear 
away the forests, as is fully described 
elsewhere on these pages. Both were 
born on the property their grandparents 
reclaimed from virgin woods, Mr. 
S(iuires on the hill a mile west of the 
village, the original home of Zachary 
Squii'es, and his wife in the farm house 
which is still the Brink homestead, 
standing within a few rods of the cross- 
ing of the two main streets of the vil- 
lage. This was taken up by Abraham 
Brink and occupied by his children who 
lived and died there and his grand- 
children, one of whom is still the occu- 
pant and possessor of the place. From 
childhood they have been active in 
local doings, and now in the ripeness 
of years they display none the less en- 
ergy in social and church affairs. On 
January 6, IfSfiS, Burgess Squires aud 
Caroline E., the daughter of Chester 
and Amy Bi'ink, were wedded. Five 
years earlier, with his j)arents, who 
had moved from the farm, Mr. Squires had 
taken up his residence in the village. They 
settled in a home on the west side of the river, 
where Mr and Mi-s. Squires have ever since lived. 
Although born (March 12, 182.S) and reared on a 
farm he hail early gone into speculation which 
turned in tlie direction of operations in real estate 
and comprised largely his occupation down to with- 
in a few years past when Mr. Squires retired from 
active business pursuits. During this period he 
was for awhile engaged in the pork business with 
Samuel Conger, who had previously built a pork 
packing house, the firm being known as Conger & 
Squires. In late years considerable property has 
accrued to Mr. and Mrs. Squires in addition to that 
wliich includes tlie Pennoyer farm of 165 acres, a 



Smith, M. D.; Sir 
Knight M. atA.,F.E. 
Youngs ; Sir Knight 
Sargeant, E. E. 
Miller: Sir Knight 1st 
M. of G., Leolin Bra- 
mau ; Sir Knight 2iid 
M. of G., Arthur Hall; 
Sir Knight Sentinel, 
George Berger ; Sir 
Knight Picket, Wal- 
ter Braman. 

Hr. and Mrs. Bur- 
gess Squires have 
irrowu up with Mara- 
thon, as it were, and 
their memories talce 
them perhaps as far 
in the background of 
local affairs as any 
others of the present 
time. [See " Earliest 
Recollections," next 
page. ] When they 
were children the 
small frontier school 
house was in iise. 
There was but one 



--TIES^ 





A. .Tolinson, Plioto 



,n [KKS" i;ksii)knci-:. 



'GRIP\S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




SOUTHWEST CORNER MAIN AND BRINK STREETS 
"Old Carley Corner." [Photo, May kSSl. loaned hy F. H. Swift. 

PKitsoss IN THE ABOVE PICTURE From left tci nu'lit : .Ttsse Courtney (deceased) 

onthesteps; Moses Adams (dec. ^ : George Hulbert ideiM : Crittenden ; L. C. 

Ball idec.i: DeWitt Miller: : Martin Br..,)ks: T.u.-ien Hazen (dec i. The 



stores were Isaac Stevens*, Hlilbert Br 

mile north of the village, aud a place of 1-iO acres 
iu the towu of Willet. Mrs. Squires was boru 
FehruarT -'2, is:'!. Her first marriage was with 
O. J. Roe when she was 21 years old. He died in 
1X64, leaving (me sou, Charles N. Roe now a resi- 
dent of Salt Lake City. Four years later she 
wedded Mr. Squires. Botli are diligent aud zeal- 
ous members of the Presbyterian churcli of which 
Mr. Squires has been an elder since uniting with 
it. 

"The Earliest Recollections I have,'" said Mrs. 
Burgess Squires, "was the old frame story and a 
half building wliich stood on my father's farm 
next to the four corners, where the Peck block 
now is. It was used as a store and afterwards as 
a residence and was burned down I think 
about 1846. It seems to me that it was 
in ':i6 or '37 that the second store was 
liiiilt on the opposite corner, where the 
Hulbert block stands. It was put up by 
my father, Chester Brink, and Alanson 
Carley. This was then talked of as the 
time when wheat was higli, selling for 
twenty shillings. My father boarded 
tlic lielp at work on the building. The 
new store impressed me as being larger 
than that across the street where George 
Peck, my uncle, did business. His wife. 
Mersena Brink Peck, was my fatlier's 
sister, the daughter of Abraham Brink, 
who first settled at that place. The 
latter came up the river in a canoe and 
bought tlie rights of a squatter, putting 
np a log building almost on the site of 
the present Brink liomestead. and wliich 
stood near the center of what is now 
Broome street. All around him were 
State lands, and when they were placed 
in the market he huiTied to Albany with 
fivK or six others on the same mission 
and secured title to what he had taken. 
Tlie party traveled across country on 
foot for days through forests, having but 
one horse to carry their arms and food. 
There was then the .salt road which ran 
iiortli and south about a mile east of the 
river which intersected with the State 
road four miles north and intersected 
the road following the east shore of the 
river on the Mallory farm about a 
mile south of the village. Another store 



I recollect was that 
put up by John M. 
Roe on the present 
site of the Tarbell 
building. At that 
time, I remember, 
there were two saw 
mills, one ou each side 
of the river, and a 
grist mill on tlie west 
side. Tliere was a 
blacksmith shop ou 
the east side. As long 
back as I can recall 
Horace Dickinson run 
a tannery There was 
a shop connected with 
it where boots and 
shoes were made. 
The ruins of the Hil- 
singer mill now stand 
on the site of that 
tannery. I also re- 
call an ashery on the 
east side. Long before 
I remember there was 
an ashery ou my father's farm. It stood near the 
foot of the gorge a short distance south of the vil- 
lage. A creek came down there and afforded it 
water. My earliest recollections include the old 
yellow school building which stood on the present 
site of L. F. Ward's residence ou the boundary of 
my father's farm. When I was fourteen years 
old a school building was erected on the site of 
the present school. Luther Brusie and Charlotte 
Roe were the first to teach in this building. D. 
E. Whitmore taught school in both buildings. 
The diagram which you publish represents as near 
as I can remember liow the inside of the yellow 
school house was laid out. Three rows of pine 
seats extend along the two sides of the building. 
Tlie back row was fitted into tlie wall and ran 



D 



. Smith' 



.. A _'._--iJ r 




H 



I 5 I 



/ 


-^ 


/ 


~l 




T' 




-, 


t 






1 


/ 


H \ 



T\ 



I- 



=^T=^= 



'JH 



PLAN OF THK INTEKIOR OK OLD YELLOW SCHOOL HOUSE. 
T>rHwn by "(Jrip" from the recollections of Mr. and Mrs. Squires. 
(See " Earliest Recollections "). 
A. Main street. B. West side. 0. East aide. D. Entrance. E. 
Schoolitiaster's seat. V. Schoolmaster's d<'sk. (t. Seat against the 
wall for the older Hoholars. H. Seat for next voimper scholars. L 
Seat for vounk'est scliolars, without desks. M. Scholar's plain board 
desks. I^. Water pail. P. Stove. X. Windows. Dotted Hues en- 
close seats; full lines enclose desks. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP MARATHON 



.•!^!as'*%«w 




Wn.LIAM SgriRE8. LUCY (.'HURCH SQUIRES, 

[Borrowed Photos.] 

clear around the building. You had to step upon 
a narrow platform to reach that seat. A plain 
board fitted to the back of the two rows of seats 
ahead made a counter to serve the purpose of a 
desk. The front seat for small children, who 
were not old enough to write or draw, had no 
counter. The teacher sat behind a desk resting 
upon the counter in the rear of the room, taking 
his place with his older scliolars on the seat 
against the wall. A large box stove set in the 
center of the room and at the right of the door as 
you entered stood the water pail and dipper. My 
husband and I both attended there and among 
our school mates were J. Stewiu't Wells aufl David 
R. Locke ("Petroleum V. Nasby"). How well I 
remember the latter, a chunk of a lad with a 
shock of tow colored hair, barefooted with 
his pants rolled part way up to his knees and 
dressed in a sheep gray roundabout suit. 
How da-oU he was. too, and full of pranks, 
often bringing upon himself punishment for 
his mirthfulness." "I remember", said 
Mr. Squires, "hearing my father tell of his 
going to school on the driving floor of an 
old barn standing north of the creek nearly 
opposite to the Livingstons. Wlien time 
came to draw in hay ne had to go to schonl 
in the stable part. Afterwards, the tirst 
school I have heard of in Marathon stood on 
the bank of the creek on the present site of 
the Tarbell building. Then tlie creek ran 
through there and where the Maratlion 
House now stands. This building toppled 
out into the creek and was sold to Abraham 
Brink who made a hog pen of it. Then the 
yellow school house was built by James 
Burgess." "The first church was built the 
year I was born, 1S31," said Mrs. Squires. 
"It was occupied for a few years by all de- 
nominations. The site was taken from my 
father's farm and the deed was after%vards 
conveyi'd to the Presbyterian church by 
Abraham Brink's heirs. Mr. Kinney was 
the first pastor of this church, whom I can 
recollect. He came here from McGrawville. 
The first Metliodist church was erected here 
when I was eleven yeai's old. Tlie flood 
which occurred in Jnly 18(58 is clear in my 
mind. Tlie farmers were liaying. People 
rowed out in boats over standing corn. 



A great deal of hay was damaged and large 
fields of corn washed out. I remember in 
January l.S.")T when the flats east of the 
river below the village were covered. One 
of the old barns on the flats had some hay 
in it and to save colts which were in the 
field a hole was knocked in the side of the 
barn and they were led up into the hay. I 
recall that during high water in 1S6.5 Giles 
Wood earned the mails to Biughamtou with 
horses the railroad being washed out." ''I 
believe," said Mr. Squires, "that Edward 
Moore had the first mowing machine 
brought to Marathon, which was in 1S.">(), 
and that the next one was bought next year 
by my fatlier." "In ls3o and "^li," said 
Mr. Squires, "a distillery stood a little west 
of George Webster's residence in the edge 
of the %voods, and I used to go there for 
emptyings for bread. It was run by George 
Parker. And that reminds me.'' con- 
tinued Mr. Squires, "that in those days 
whiskey was iudispensible to labor and 
that the tii-st house probably erected in Ma- 
rathon where the jug of whiskey was not 
passed around was that which in late years 
was the residence of Nathaniel Bouton. 
Joseph Benedict buUt it about Ln31 for a 
cabinet shop and residence and he declared that 
the building would never be raised if it could not 
be done without whisky. I remember hearing 
my father tell about going to school witli Tluirlow 
Weed," said Mr. Squires. "The home of Weed 
was on the Clay Carley farm, on the hill a lialf 
mile west of the river. Father told of apple trees 
that stood around the house, all traces of which 
have disappeared. He also told how Weed when 
a boy, desiring to have a crop of his own. piled 
upon a hemlock stump a heap of dirt in wliich he 
planted corn that grew quite large presenting a 
really laiighable appearance. The first postman 
I recall was Isaac Johnson who strapped tlie mails 
behind his saddle and came into town with a 
flourish of horsemanship and a trumpeting of his 
horn whicl) brought every body to the door. I 



C^ 






^■'?iw 




SOME OF THE BUILDERS OF MARATHON. 

James Burcess. Dr. Samut-l Hunt, Anson Peck. 

Lydia Hunt, Hannah Maller.v, Mrs. C. C. Brink, Mer.sena Brink Peck 

D. R. Lo<'ke i"P«*troleuni V. Nasby" t, Cephas Comstock, 

[Borrowed photos.] Charles Gerard. 



'(tRip's" historical souvenir of marathon 




U. B. TRIPP. Historian, "Grip's" Souvenir. 

was quite a young man when the first stage coacli 
came aloug. I remember the day well. I wa.s 
cutting oats. The stages then c<iunectefl with 
other lines at Lisle. I have been informed that 
David Wing wa.s the first man who carried mail 
to and from Marathon." 

William Squires and his wife, Lucy, were 
descendants of families who were among the 
earliest settlers of Marathon, who by their perse- 
verance and indu.stry opened and improved one of 
the best farms in this locality. With united and 
untiring zeal tlicy also labored to promote the so- 
cial and churcli interests of tlir comiNiuiity and 
were the first to endorse any proji^cr that promised 
to advance the growth of the village. To the 
State militia he gave twenty-two years of active 
service in which he took considerable pleasure and 
interest, and was re- 
warded with the com- 
missions of captain, 
lieutenant-colonel and 
colonel, the latter title 
being ever afterwards 
attached to his name. 
(joI. .Squires was horn 
in ninghumton, No- 
viMiibcr -Jli, IT'.tS. In 
isoi hisparcnt.u, Zach- 
ary and Catharine 
Squires, .iourneyf^d up 
the Tionghnioga in a 
canoe as far as the site 
of the present village 
wheri! they found 
three other families 
who had already lo- 
cated thert!. Thfiy 
settled on a farm in 
the town of Lapeer, 
then Virgil, and si.\ 
years later removed to 
the farm a half mile 
west of t he river l)ridge 
where William lived, 
workingtlie placewitli 
his fatlier until Is.M. 
when lie mcivi-d on 



to the farm at Coiisin's Corners wliicli he 
Ijurchased of his father when he had attained 
ills majority. The preceding year, (182;i), iie 
married Lucy, the daughter of Malachi and 
Lucy Church, who was born in Brattleboro, Vt., 
March 4, 1S02, and whose parents moved to Mara- 
thon in 180(1. At the age of I.") years she began 
teaching which she continued until she was mar- 
ried. She was a woman of rare Christian virtues, 
thoroughly in sympathy with her hu.sband's olans 
and purposes; a warm hearted, atlVrtn mate wife 
and mother and a person of great litins oli nee. 
In all homes of suffering she was to lie lound la- 
boring to alleviate pain and console those in 
trouble. Besides becoming the mother of eleven 
children to whom she gave the most zealous care 
and attention she took into her home children 
who were found to be destitute, and oftentimes 
grown people who were unable to care for tliem- 
selves. In 1829 Col. Squh-es moved onto the farm 
one half mile south of the village which was tlien 
a tract of 60 acres of uncleared, and largely 
swampy, river bottom covered with fallen trees 
and brush, and 72 acres of hill land growing 
dense, heavy timber. Here he and his boys 
wrought diligently cutting, clearing and draining 
until before he died he had the pleasure of behold- 
ing as tht^ fruits of his wisdom and industry a 
farm in all respects equal, and in many, better 
than any other in the county — now the property 
and home of one of his sous, G. P. Squires. He 
was among the most fearless advocates of prohibi- 
tion and abolition. In ls(i3 Mr. and Mrs. Squires 
moved into the village where William died 
March 1.5, 1885, and Lucy .lanuaiy Hi, 1.S.S8. He 
represented the town on the board of supervisors. 
He was one of the incorporators and the manager 
of the Marathon Cemetery association. Of the 
large f amilyof children whom they reared three are 
living; Burgess S(iuires, George Peck Squires 
and Mrs. D. B. Tripp. Three died before obtain- 
ing the age of maturity and three died, respect- 
ively at the ages of 24, IV.) and :!3 years. 

D. B. Tripp, the assistant cashier of the First 
National bank of Marathon, of which he is one of 
th(^ original stockholders and directors, positions 
he still occupies, has always been among the most 
active business men of the village in giving eoun- 




I). K. TRIPPS RKSIDENCE 



KIRIP'S" HIST(miCAL SOUVENIR OP MARATHON 




Borrowed Photo.] J. STEWART WELI.S. 
teuauce to looal improvement. The handsome 
public library, au iustitutiou which is in uo way 
beliind the best of them, may be said to be largely 
of his creation, since he is the president of the 
library board and has been from the beginning : 
he also having full control of the new opera 
house, a very commodious and pretty place for 
public entertainment in the upper story of the 
librai-y building. Mr. Tripp was president of the 
village board in 'i)3, '94 and '95; also a trustee in 
1.S78. His wife, Margaret, is the daughter of the 
late William Squires. They were married June 
15, 1S70. Mr. Tripp was born in Harford, Cort- 
land county, October 7, 1X4','. He was educated 
in the Harford public school and Dryden academy 
and taught school in the latter village two terms, 
ls(i3 and 1X64. He came to Marathon in 
ls()4 and accepted a clerkship with Tripp 
& Adams, where he remained until the 
organization of the bank. Mr. Tripp is 
a student of history and a fluent public 
speaker. The souvenir owes him very 
much for his clear, concise and compre- 
hensive sketch of the description and his- 
tory of Maratlion. 

Col. J. Stewart Wells of Binghamton 
early in the thirties, at the age of 7, came 
to reside with the family of William 
Church, one of the early families of Ma- 
rathon, Mrs. Church being his aunt. For 
nine years he dwelt with them as one of 
the family, and the training and care 
which lie received at their hands he re- 
cognizes and credits as the toundation 
for the measure of success he has achieved 
in a long, busy, useful life. At the age 
of Hi he ceased to be a resident of Mara- 
tlion, and started on foot for the then 
village of Binghamton, where he became 
anajiprrntice to a carpenter and builder. 
Thoronglily mastering liis trade he soon 
went into luisiiiess for liiiii^elf, and with 
zeal and sound judgiueiit lie has reaped 
a substantial reward. For many years 
he had charge of the construction of the 
best edifices in that and neighboring 
places. He also found time to embark in 



other branches of industry, and there, too, he 
prospered until he is one of the most substantial 
citizens of the Parlor City. A little more 
than fifty years ago he married Miss Hannah 
Barnes and they began house keeping on 
the same spot where they now reside on First 
street in that city. During all these years 
that have passed since Mr. Wells left Marathon 
his interest in the place has not flagged. He has 
been a frecjuent visitor here and has kept in touch 
with its history. When the Peck Memorial 
library was rstaiilislied liis interest in that insti- 
tution early iiuiiiifisted itself, both on account of 
his long acciuaiutance witli the noble lady who 
made it possible, as well as his regard for the 
place itself. And so when he realized that an 
addition to its endowment fund would greatly in- 
(•re:ise its iutluenc-e for good he sent tn the trustees 
his check for $1,000, and has since annually i-on- 
triliuted $l2b to the fund for the jnirchase of 
books. In sending his check for the $1 .000 he said : 

BiN<;nAMTON, Sept. 2. 189."i. 
Tlie Peck Memorial Library Association of the 
Village of Maratlion, N. Y. 
At the age of seventy-three I look back 
over the scenes of a busy life to my lioyhood ilays 
spent in Marathon from the age of six to seven- 
teen, and as a token of respect and devotion to the 
friends of my youth I enclose my check for one 
thousand dollars, the income to purchase books to 
be placed in your library, hoping their contents 
will benefit my friends and the publi<-. 
Yours Truly. 

J. Stewart Wells. 

The Peck Memorial Library was founded by 
Mrs. Meri-ena Peck. She was the daughter of 
Abraham Brink,one of the pioneer settlers of Mara- 
thon. She was an exceedingly amiable and be- 
nevolent lady, and had an earnest desire that a 
paa-t of her property should be used for the benefit 
of her native town. Accordingly she caused to 
be inserted in her last will which was executed on 
the 12th day of January, 1NS5, the following pro- 
vision : "I give to James H. Tripp, Daniel B. 
Tripp and Daniel E. Whitmore, all of Marathon, 




I'KCK MKMnKIAL LIKRAKY. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




the sum of ($20,000) twenty thoiisaurt dollars in 
trust for till- orKiiuizatiou. furnishing and main- 
tenance of ii tin- (jiililic library iu Marathon afore- 
said. The (irtails for said orsauizatiou and for 
the purchase of l)0(>ks, fitting up and support of 
said library I am obliged to leave entirely to the 
discretion of the said trustees with the hope that 
they will exercise their best judgment and so 
manage it that it shall be of the greatest possible 
benefit to the people of Marathon." At the time 
of ht-v dinrh which occurred in June, 181)1, her 
neiiri~t r. hit ims were neices and nephews. Some 
of tliise (■(iiiiiiieneed an action to set aside her 
will. A settlement 
was finally made 
whereby the specific- 
legacies were paid 
over according to tlic 
terms of the will iu 
the latter part nf tlu- 
j-ear is<.):i The trus- 
tees took iiiiiucdiate 
steps to carry into 
effect the be(iuest re- 
lating to the library. 
An association was in- 
corporated, a site pro- 
cured, plans for a 
building were made, 
contract awarded and 
building commenced 
in May, lSi)4, com 
pleted and di'dicatcd 
iu May. 180."), and li- 
brary opened to tin- 
public on January 1st, 
ls'.)i;. The building is 
4Sx8(; feet, i)uilt (if 
])ressed brick witli 
grey stone trimmings. 
The arched entrance 
is supported by pol- 
ished granite colunnis 



surmounted by carved Corinthian capi- 
tals. The windows are plate glass with 
ornamental transoms. The interior is 
finished with oak. About one foiu-th of 
the first floor is occupied by the First Na- 
tional bank, and the other three fourths 
by the library. There is an Opera house 
on the secimd floor with seating capacity 
for (iOO, lighted by electricity, with large 
stage and all necessary scenery and 
equipments. The lilirary contains 3,000 
volumes exclusive of pamphlets and 
public documents. The circulation for 
the year ending June ;iO, 1900, was '.l,;!"."). 
There is also a reading table provided 
with papers and magazines. Iu addition 
to the gift of 120,000 Ijy Mrs. Peck, J, 
Stewart Wells of Binghamtou has given 
f 1,000 besides an annual gift of .fl-J.") for 
five successive years for the purchase of 
books. D. B. Tripp gave a Decker Bros, 
grand piano, Mrs. D. B. Tripp, a grate 
and mantle. Mrs. Burgess Squires a me- 
morial window and G. L. Swift $3.50. 
< )ther parties have made liberal contri- 
butions of liooks. The trustees are James 
H. Tripp, Daniel B. Tripp, Ed. L. Ad- 
ams, D. Barnard Willson and Burgess 
Squires. The executive oflicers are : D. 
B- Tripp, president ; D. B. Willson, sec- 
retary; Lyman Adams, treasurer; J.W. 
Livingston, librarian. 

John W. Livingston, librarian of the 
Peck Memorial library, an appointment 
which he received December 1, ISOI), 
and superintendent of the water system since 
May, 1890, is a machinist, a trade which he 
and his brother learned in their father's foun- 
dry, a business which the latter, James Liv- 
ingston, carried on for .several years. When 
the contractors, who put in tlie water works, 
abandoned the work when it was ouly par- 
tially completed James Livingston and his sous 
finished laying a large quantity of the pipe, 
which, though entirely out of their line, was com- 
pleted iu a finished and entirely satisfactory 
manner. Jolm Livingston's well known aptitude 
for compiling and preserving records naturally left 




-^. 



*-'f>tiiki^/^,iH 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP MARATHON 



to his appoiutment as clerk of the village in Feb- 
ruary 189S, as well as clerk of the Baptist church 
society, of which he is a member, au appoint- 
ment received ten years ago, both of which posi- 
tions he has continued to till in au acceptable 
manner. Tlie post of librarian, to which he suc- 
ceeded upon the death of his wife which occurred 
November 34, 1899, is au important position be- 
cause it entails the responsibility for the care of 
one of the largest and best public libraries that is 
to be found in any village in the State. As a 
member of the fire department from the time he 
was twelve years of age, in which he has been 
honored by election to most of the offices includ- 
ing cliief engineer, he has ever been active in pro- 



Jerome liulbert, deceased, the subject of this 
sketch, was bnrn in Truxton, N. Y., February 2:i, 
1829 and died in Marathon, December 17, 1884. 
His father, Timothy Hulbert. was born in Pitts- 
field, Mass., October 2, 1789. Mr Hulbert was 
for many years a prominent business man of 
Marathon, being largely engaged in the produce 
business in connection with his brothers in New 
York city. His business relations were most 
happy, all having confidence in his judgment and 
feeling he worked for their interest as well as 
his own. He was energetic and quick in his de- 
cisions and was rarely deceived in the true value 




.TEROME HULBERT AND HIS LATE RESmENCE, now the property and home of his widow. 
3r irse, Conservatory and Grounds ( A..Tohnson,Photo ) . Arch of Vines at the Entrance ( Ernest Hulbert . Photo 1 . 
A Nook in the Music Room (Ernest Hulbert, Photo). 



moting its efficiency. He was born in Marathon, 
June :iO, 1859. Being compelled to relinquish the 
higher branches of study owing to failing eye- 
sight he chose the trade of machinist which he fol- 
lowed until about a year and a half ago. He 
selected one of Maratlion's accomplished daugli- 
ters, Hattie Hamlin, for a life partner and their 
nuptials were celebrated July 2b, 188:i. Her 
deatli sixteen years later deprived himself and one 
daughter, Miss lone, of a devoted wife and loving 
mother whose early demise was mourned by the 
community. Mr. Livingston, au active republi- 
can, has been made inspector of elections and 
cliairman of the board for years. 



of things and seldom relinquished an undertaking 
until brought to a successful completion. His in- 
fluence was felt in every phase of society. He 
was deeply interested in all that pertained to the 
welfare of his town, religious, educational or sec- 
ular. He was au elder in the Presbyterian church 
of Marathon, superintendent of the Sunday 
school and president of the Y. M. C. A., to all of 
which he gave his earnest enthusiastic service. 
His home life was beautiful, loyal, loving and 
true, his family home holding the first place in 
his heart and life. He left a wife, daughter of 
the late S. M. Roe of Cortland, who has always 
remained in the old home, and one child, Mrs. 



■•(JRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




JAMES HICKEY. 



MRS. N. E. HICKEY. 



Ernest M. Hulbert of Cortland. Ou the day of 
his bimal at the time of the funeral all the places 
of business were closed, all seeniins to feel they 
had lost a personal friend. The beautiful white 
horse seen in the picture is one Mr. Hulbert gave 
as a present to his wife and is one of the land- 
marks of the town. 

John Jay Hickey came to Marathon to live in 
October, 1^6.5, and for twenty-five years was en- 
gaged in the village iu building and general re- 
pairing, a trade which he took up when ](i years 
of age, with Friuck & Russell at McOrawville, 
afterwards working for oiney (i. Perkins of Cin 
cinnatus and William Alvord of Cortland, each 
three years. In 18<il he enlisted iu the TGth regi- 
ment at Cortland but was taken sick in the re- 
cruiting camp and was not mustered in. Subse- 
<iuently he enlisted 
iu the 157th regi- 
ment but was re- 
jected because of 
trouble with one of 
his limbs. How- 
ever, he engaged in 
the recruiting serv- 
ce at Cortland and 
afterwards re- 
ceived the commis- 
sion of first lieu- 
tenant in the Na- 
tional (Guards from 
(rovernor Fen ton. 
Having a pen- 
cliant for leading 
in military display 
Mr. Hickey has 
been several times 
selected by his 
townsmen as mar- 
slial in local pa- 
rades. The first 
three years he was 
iu Marathon he 
worked as building 
forcnian for Minor 
< irant and the fol- 
lowing tlu-ee years 
wtis engaged in 



building by the .iob or day with INIe.ssrs. 
Underwood and Borthwick. In com- 
pany with Mr. Underwood he bid ou the 
plans for the new Union scliool and the 
two were awarded the julj for $s,()00, a 
price since considered ndiculiously low 
and a job then regarded as the largest in 
the towu. These two gciitleiucu were 
for several years in parlncrsliip in l)uild- 
iug operations, which occupation Mr. 
Hickey followed until 1890, when he 
turned his entire attention to the manu- 
facture of an ointuieut known as Jersey 
Balm, the secret for which his wife had 
evolved and patented, and a remedy 
which has been made known all over 
the country. Mr. Hickey took the busi- 
ness managemeut of the business, which 
together they started in a small way and 
which they have enlarged until now it 
has become an important industry, pro- 
moted through general agencies iu all 
sections of the union. In I.S94 Mrs. 
Fitz Boyuton of Cortland purchased a 
half interest, which since her death has 
been controlled by Mrs. Hickey as trus- 
tee for Mrs. Boynton's two sons. The 
greatest part of the remedy is handled 
through headi|uarti'rs in New York and 
Miinieapolis, wliich deal directly with lo- 
cal agencies iu the east, west and south. Mrs. 
Hickey (Nancy E. Stone) was born iu McOraw- 
ville aud afterwards lived in Solon. Mr. Hickey 
was born in Hoboken, N. .1,, SeptemVier 1, 18;i4. 
They were married at Cortland, October 11, 1864. 
His father, John O. Hickey, who came from Ire- 
land when 21 years old, was a builder and had 
charge of the construction of the Elysium fields, 
the well known pleasure grounds across the river 
from New York and several large Imildiugs iu 
Hoboken, where he became a prominent politi- 
cian. In 1839 in company with two others he 
bought laud in Solon and Truxtou where he con- 
structed a log house and cleared a farm, later ou 
bringing his family and children hither by means 
of a packet to Syracuse and a coach from that 
point across the country. Mr. .John Jay Hickey 
lia.s served four years as justice of the peace. 




lorrowi-d Plujtd. I MRS. .lEROME HULBERT'.S C-I,.\S.S, PRE.S. S. .S. 

Mildred Blue, Francis I^ewis, Mttleulm Hlue, (Ja^o Swift, 
AuKUstine Burgess, Gladys Blue, Marion Blue, Louise Bradford, Maxwell Mile 



'GRIP'S" HISTORinAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 





MRS. ANN ELIZA SyUIRES. 



4E()R(tE p. squires. 



He has for years been promiueut iu the 
local order of Odd Fellows, having served the 
Marathon lodge as Past Grand, having gone 
tlirough the encampment and having assisted in 
instituting other lodges. He was one of the early 
members of the order of (rood Templars after the 
revival in the seventies, having served as Chief 
Templar and having assisted iu instituting many 
lodges. Mr. and Mrs. Hiokey are members of the 
Baptist church, in which society Mr. Hickey has 
served as trustee and chairman of the building 
committee. Mr. Hickey has always been an 
active republican, taking part in caucuses and 
conventions, many times as chairman, and has re- 
presented the town on the county committee. 
He is an experienced licensed auctioneer. 

George P. Squires, one of Marathon's largest 
farmers and daiiymen, is also extensively known 
as a breeder of Red Polled cattle. His was the 
third herd of this breed started in the United 
States. In ISx'S he imported four head, three 
heifers and a bull, wliich laid the foundation for 
the herd, which by additional purchases and 
breeding he built up to the number of 76 to 
100. For a number of years his son, Harry P. 
exhibited them at 
many of the leading 
fairs in the eastern 
and southern states, 
being awarded in one 
season over 11,300 in 
preniinuis. In the 
Vfiir l^'.M the herd was 
atiiirkcd w itli an epi- 
demic which lasted 
for three years and 
greatly reduced the 
number. Mr. Squires 
is still a great admirer 
of these cattle and he 
thinks them the best 
general purpose breed 
he knows of and hopes 
to be able to build up 
another herd when 
tlie conditions are fa- 
vorable for so doing. 
Mr. Squires has also 
won some distinction 
through the large and 
commodious barn lie 
has planned and 
caused to be built on f. S.Dellow, l'hut._ 



his home farm. When he came in 
possession of the farm it had a number 
of barns all disconnected and fast coming 
to need repairs. He began to study the 
situation and decided not to repair but 
to build one barn which should be ample 
for the accommodation of the whole 
farm. This structure, which is the 
liandiest, the most substantial and the 
most compact the writer has ever seen, 
was built ill 18^3 and consists of a main 
building Kit feet long, 44 feet wide is 
three stories high a 10- foot basement and 
24-foot posts above the basement with an 
L S2x'M and 20ft posts. The basement 
has an entry at each end and also iu the 
end of the L. It has stancheons for 
forty-two liead of cattle, five stalls for 
horses, commodious box stalls for young 
stock and other purposes The base- 
ment has accommodations for seventy 
to seventy-five head of stock. The floor 
is mostly cement and the whole is 
supplied with pure running spring 
water. Every part of the barn is access- 
from the basement by inside stairs 
driving inclines. The hay and straw 
is delivered iu the basement by shutes conven- 
iently arranged, and the grain and mill feed is 
spouted down from bins overhead. Two tub silos 
of 12ft. diameter and 40ft. high, iuclosed by a 
building 24x2s feet, stand at the southeast corner 
of the barn where they are filled from the bank 
above and are connected below with the base- 
ment. So that the ensilage car, which holds 2.5 
bushels and runs on a steel track overhead 
delivers it to all parts of the liasement. Three 
driveways lead into the barn overhead, by earth 
approaches within 24 feet of the barn, and the 
last 24 feet is by iron bridges. Two of these 
bridges connect with the driving floors in the 
thii'd story which are tlaukeil by haymows, which 
have a capacity of about :)()0 tons. The hay is 
delivered iu the mows by grapple forks which 
run on tracks overhead and deposit it at any de- 
sired point. The grain bins and feed bins are 
directly under the rU'iving floors and are filled 
through trap doors for the purpose. In the west 
end of the barn is a scaffold bay :iGx44 feet, which 
is used for storing untlu-eashed grain. The L of 
the barn is directly opposite the end of one driv- 



able 
and 




i;ksidence. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVKNIR ()F MARATHON 





F. E. Yumit;, Photo 



BIRUSEYE VIEW OF (iEoliUE P. SQUIRES' FARM. 



iitioiis, workiiifj the 
home farm of :ilO 
acres themselves and 
superinten(Uufr and 
repairiug the Oom- 
stalk farm of 255 
acres wWch they owu 
located about one- half 
mile south of the home 
farm. In the spring 
of liino Harry bought 
a one-half interest in 
the Marathon Cream- 
ery. Since that time 
he has devoted his en- 
tire time to that. 
The home farm is let 
on shares and (J. P., 
now spends his time 
superintending and 
keeping the farms in 
repair. Mr. Squires 
has been assessor and 
supervisorof his town, 
but does not court po- 
litical oftice He was 
one of tlie incorpora- 
tors of the National 
bank and has been 
a director and vice 



ing floor. In threashing time the machine is set 
on this floor. The straw is delivered in the loft 
of the L and the grain spouted into bins directly 
under the floor. Directly under the grain loft 
(or mow) and connecting with the driving floor, 
is a room :!().\44 feet, used for storing tools and 
implements. Tlie third driveway leads into the 
<-arriage room in the second story, which is :!()x:i4 
feet, and accessable to the basement by means of 
an incline. Mr. Squires says his greatest care 
and study in planning this structure was to have 
it convenient for filling and caring for stock. In 
this we think he has succeeded, (reo. Squires is 
the sou of William and Lucy Siiuires and was 
born August 2v!, ISHli, on the same farm where he 
now lives. His boyhood days were spent attend- 
ing scliool and helping liis father on the farm. 
.Tanuary 7, l^H'- he was married to Ann E. Pen- 
noyer, daughter of (lan-ett and Eliza J. Peu- 
noj^er, who lived on a 
farm about a mile 
)iorth of Marathon. 
In March of tlie same 
year Mr. Sciuires 
bought and moved 
onto Mr. Pennoyer's 
farm, living there 
two years. In the 
spring of )s(;4 he 
moved onto his 
fatlier's farm and 
worked it on shares 
during his father's 
life. Then by paying 
off the other lieirs he 
came in possession of 
it and has lived there 
since. Thus his whole 
life excepting two 
years lias been sjient 
on the farm where he 
was born. Hehiusbut 
line child, Harry 1^ , 
born November '.'."i, 
ISdfi. Sinc(! he at- 
tained his majority he 
liiis been an erpial part- 
ner with his father in 
all their farming oper- 



president since its incorporation. He is interested 
in the growth and prosperity of the village and 
takes a special interest in the school. He has 
been a trustee of the Board of Education about 
thirty years and president of the board over 
twenty years. But his best efforts and energies 
have been spent in the pursuits of agriculture and 
his greatest ambition is to attain the reputation 
of being a good farmer and an honest man. 

Horeau D. Burgess, whose parents came to 
Marathon when lie was four years old, in 1817, 
was a skillful carpenter and millwright, and like 
his father, James Burgess, a natural mechanic. 
Long past eighty years at the time of this writing, 
his period of activity has been a long and busy 
one, and many productions of his own hands form 
a part of tlie structral work which makes IMa- 
rathon a thriving village. James Burgess was 




H. P. SyUlKES' KKSIDEM'E. 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



-^; 




p. E. YnunK, Photo. (4. P. S(,11'1KE8 HAKN 

not ouly a mechauie aud builder, who put up 
several buildings, but was a man of considerable 
business interests aud at one time conducted the 
principal taA'ern in the village. He died iu 1848. 
Moreau Burgess was born iu Litchfield, Ct., April 
4, isi:i. He was married to Jane, the daughter 
of William Chm-ch, oue of the early land owners 
iu Marathon. Ho was a whig early iu his life, 
but in later years became a stauuch Jeffersonian 
democrat. He has two sons who still live iu 
Marathon although his wife has long since been 
dead. They are Duane Burgess aud Corwiu Bur- 
trggs. [See portrait P. 30] 

Elizur H. Barnes, M. D., was born June 21, 
1S1-, in Ti-iangle, Broome county, formerly the 
town of Lisle. In December 1S34 he commenced 
reading medicine with his uncle. Dr. Enos Barnes 
at Rock Stream, N. Y., which he continued three 
and oue half years, then attended the Geneva, 
N. Y., Medical Col- 
lege in 183T-S, where 
he graduated with 
distinguished lionors. 
In .\pril. l^H^i he was 
1k'i'iisimUi\ tlii'Broome 
Cduniy Slc'dical So- 
ciety and began prac- 
tice" at Great Beud, 
Pa., oue year later re- 
moving to Marathon 
where lie resided until 
his decease, bcroming 
a mi-mber of the Cort- 
land County Medical 
Society iu li~;40. He 
was appointed by 
Hon. William H. 
Sewai'd surgeon of the 
IHTth Regiment of In- 
fantry of N. Y., in 
188'.t. In isdti he 
joined the Masonic 
lodge of which he was 
a valued member until 
his death. He tilled 
several responsible 
offices in the com- 
munity to the entire f. e. Younj;, Photo 



satisfactiou of his con- 
stituents. He had an 
extensive aud exceed- 
ingly successful prac- 
tice for over forty 
years, then gradually 
retired from the busi- 
ness. He died Febru- 
ary (!, lK9i». Dr. 
Bai'nes was twice 
married. His first 
wife was Nancy Car- 
ley, daughter of Alan- 
son Cai'ley, whom he 
married in 1S40. She 
died in 1«4(!. His 
second wife, Merseua 
Carley, sister of the 
first, he married iu 
1847. Her death oc- 
curred January 4, 
1874. He was a mem- 
ber of the Methodist 
Episcopal church to 
the interests of which 
he was thoroughly de- 
voted and held most 
of the principal offices 
iu that society. He 

held the office of coroner for several terms. [See 

portrait P. 30. ] 

Patrick Hallery, who spent his life in the 
town of Marathon where he was born, June 5, 
isoti, and died November 1, 18S7, was several 
times elected to the Board of Supervisors and in 
other ways was an active, much respected, pro- 
gressive citizen. His was one of the earliest 
births in the town and he assisted in cleariug 
some of the woods which covered a large portion of 
the present higlily cultivated farm a mile north of 
the village. Afterwards his father took the Mall- 
ery place south of the village which the son owned 
at the time of his death, aud where the father died 
March N, 1X38. At the time of the son's death he 
was living iu the village, the present home of his 
surviving widow, whom he married September 
13, 1S7S, and whose maideu name was Frances A. 




THE TENANTS' HOUSES ON (t. P. SQUIRES' FARM, 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




A. E. DOANE. 



H. P. SyUIBES 



Phelps. Mr. Mallery's first wife was Avis How- 
laud to whom he was married in 1830. Her death 
occurred December l(i, 1876. [See portait P. 30]. 
Squires & Doane, when they purchased the 
milk station in Marathon from the New York 
owners and took possession April 1, I'.lOO, placius 
the business on a co-operative basis, gave to the 
dairymen of Marathon a home market, which tln^ 
ffrowth of tlie business shows is appreciated since 
about si.xty dairies deliver daily from 70 to 175 
cans of milk. In the meantime the facilities are 
being increased to handle a great deal more, al- 
tliough at least ■2.5,000 pounds of milk can be 
accommodated. At least one half of the present 
receipts are converted into butter and cheese. 
The fact that Mr. Doane is an expert butter and 
cheese maker and Mr. Squires enjoys a wide repu- 
tation as a dairyman 
lias inspired confi- 
dence in tlie enter 
prise in a measure 
wliich promises abun- 
dant success At the 
time the plant 

changed hands new 
macliinery was added, 
but it was not until 
tlie last of the preced- 
ing year that Mr. 
DoaiK^ was able to 
give personal atten- 
tion to the butter and 
(■heese making, so that 
since then tlie i)ro 
spects for e.\pansion 
have become flatter- 
ing and the proceeds 
of the business do not 
dt'iicnd alone upon the 
niarkrt value of milk, 
lliury P. Scpiires was 
born in Marathon, No 
vcndier 2."). IWifi. He 
was educated in the 
higher studies taught 
at the Aurora Higli 



▲. 



IflLKDEPOT. 



school and at the Utica Business college. 
In 1877 lie was married to Mi.ss Kate 
Stalker of Upper Ijisl(\ Brought up on 
a large and productive farm Mr. S(iiiires 
has spent all of his time as a dairyman. 
For several years in company with his 
lather he bred and niarlietid thorough- 
bred cattle from iniiicirtc<l stock. Taking 
an active part in lociil pulitics lie has 
served as highway conniiissioner and 
participated in local <'i)nvcntiiins. He- 
is also prominently identitiid with tlic 
loc'al grange. Albert K. Doane since a 
boy has been engaged in butter and 
cheese making and is widely known in 
Cortland, Clicnango and Broome coun- 
ties as an expert butteraiid cheese maker. 
For many years he owned and managed 
the Upper Lisle factory which he dis- 
l)Osed of two years before he came to 
Marathon and whicli he operated for 
sixteen years. He was born in Ceres, 
.\llet;aiiy county, April 3, ISlil, and on 
December 2."), 1884. was married to Miss 
Emma Tice of German Flats. 

George Carter, who was born in 
Colesville, N. Y., in 1828, left home at 
l(i years of age and made his way to 
Cortland with 2."> cents in his pocket, 
where he learned the cabinet makers trade of F 
J. McFarland. In is-ts he came to Marathon and 
entered the employ of Nathaniel Bouton In 18.50 
he ( le.ii'il a store and shop at the west end of the 
brhl;;e wlieie for many years he carried on a busi- 
ness ill furniture and burial cases which he made 
by hand, his workmanship, well known business 
integrity and high social character bringing to 
him a large patronage. He was ever planning 
for the improvement of the village as well as 
his own property. On December 2(i, is.50. he 
man-ied Cornelia Hoff, and two children, Elric 
and Maggie C, blessed the union. On (October 
21, 1S73, he was wedded to Lydia Burlingham 
and by this marriage two more children came 
to brighten his home, L. Maud and Elsie M. He 
died at the advanced age of 7 1 years and 1 1 mouths, 
survived by the widow and three daughters, Mnggie 
C.. L. Maud and Elsie M. (See portrait P. :io). 



MARATHON URXDEm 



*^'^. 




.\. .Inlmson, Plieti). »yi:iHKS A: DO.VNKS (THE MARATHON i ('KE.\MKUY. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




r' 



E. H. BARNES, Village Treasurer. 

Edwin H. Barnes, treasui'er of the village, be- 
gan to solicit iusiirauce in June, ls84, for oom- 
pauios taking fire risks, and meeting with a gen- 
erous response from the public he from time to 
time enlarged his held and increased the number 
of companies he represented until at the present 
writing he obtains the exclusive agency in his 
territory of ten first ehiss companies which com- 
mand an aggregate capital equal to that of any 
other ten in the country. These are all doing lire 
insurance business except the Travelers' which 
enables him to write life and 
accident policies. His office 
is at his residence, a pleas- 
antly located and comfort- 
ably fitted home on the west 
shore of the river, which 
was the home of his la- 
mented father, one of Ma- 
rathon's noted physicians. 
For that reason the place 
possesses rare value in the 
affections of Edwin Barnes. 
The latter was born in Ma- 
rathon, May i;i, 1S4S, and 
was educated in the Mara- 
thon academy. Espousing 
the principles of the repub- 
lican party, Mr. Barnes be- 
came one of its most aggres- 
sive workers, a fact which 
was recognized by the Grant 
administration by appoint- 
ing him postmaster when he 
was ai years of age. He 
could fairly claim on the 
merits of the case to be in 
line for the appointment 
since he had served as a 
clerk as soon as he was able 
to get out of school, or from 
the time he was i;S years of 
age, holding the position 
under the po.stmasterships 
of Alanson Oarley, Lucius 
Davis and G. L. Oakley. 
About two years after his re- 
tirement from the post office 



he was on the staff of railway postal clerks which 
equipped the celebrated fast (white) mail trains 
flying between New York and Chicago When 
a young man he indulged his fancy by compos- 
ing verse and a great many of his compositions 
have been publisliert in the compilations of 
poetical authors circulated in this country. ( )u 
Aprils;*, 1S79, he married Ella, the only daughter 
of William O. and Sarah J. Butler of Lyons, N. 
Y. Mr. Barnes possesses considerable western 
projierty, the care of which occu])ies no small part 
(if his time. But lie is active in public matters 
and fraternal organiziitidns, being file serrefary 
and treasurer of llie Marathon Fire 1 )eparhiieiit, 
of wiiieli he isa charter member, and tht^ secretary 
of file Maratlioii Cemetery associaticm. He is a 
member (if the Masonic lodge and the Masonic 
Vefcraus association of Central New York. 

iV\arathon--How Named-Mrs. Burgess Squires, 
the granddaughter of Abraham Brink, who was 
the first postmaster of Marathon, has tliree docu- 
ments of value relating to family history and also 
giving a brief glimpse of a political complication 
having a Ijeariug on local history. One document 
is tlie appdiutment of Abraham Brink as post- 
master, signed by "Return J. Meigs, Jun., Post- 
iiuister General", and dated December 27. 1N31. 
It made him postmaster of "Hanison." James 
Monroe was then President. The second docu- 
ment is a letter written by Congressman E. tl. 
Reed to George E. Peck, dated February 21, 1832. 
Tliis contains an interesting bit of history in 
which it seems to have appeared that James Bur- 
gess, who was not expected to favor the appoint- 
ment of George E. Pei^k on account of the form- 
er's anti-Mason proclivities, had surprised tlie 
friends of the latter by resigning in favor of Mr. 
Peck. The e(inniiissi("iii Mr. Peck received made 
him postmaster (if Marathon, and was dated Feb- 
ruary l(i, 1«82. It was signed by William T. 
Barry, Postmaster General. An(h'ew Jackson 





■^tai, "S^ 





EARLY PROMINENT RESIDENTS (Deceased). 
Georjie Carter [See Sk. P. 29]. P»f'a.<^k MaUery [See Sk. P. 2S]. 

Moreau Burgess [See Sk. P. 27] "' ~ 



Dr. Blizur H. Barnes [See Sk. P. 28]. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOtiVKNIR OF MARATHON 



was Pri'sident. The fact is thiit .lames BurRess 
Slice ■t'l'ded Abraham Brink as postmaster and Peck 
sui-cefdrd Burgess. The first named held the 
place and presumably made the rec(Mnmendatiiin 
at the time tlie ITnitril St;il.s ]i.i>|al anthcirities 
changed tlie name. if the post. .Hi,-,. :iiid Kiwiiship 
from "Harrison" to "iMarathim". This ehanf:e 
was made beca\ise there was already a town in 
the State naxned Harrison. 

The First National Bank of Marathon, K. Y., 
was orfrauized and commenced l)usiness June 1, 
1NN4, with a paid up capital of .s.",o,(ioo. The lirst 



ever commanded and continues to command the 
confidence of the people. The present directors 
are: Jas. H. Tripp, Geo. P. Squires, Lyman 
Adams, D. B. Tripp, Ed. L. Adams, F. K. Whit- 
more, H. P. Squires. 

The Landlords — Abraham Brink kept the first 
and only public house from 1800 to 1824, the time 
of his death. Chester Brink, his sou, continued 
it until is;!.'!. David Peck, having the assurance 
tliat Chcsti^r Brink would cease keeping tavern, 
imrchased a small house on the present site of the 







1 



I '""'IllllW)!,. -X_ 

iniinrtxioni t« . < I " l a; 




■'. S. II..1I..W, Pli..t..s. THE FIRST NATIONAL HANK. 

James H. Tripp, President, Georirc^ h. Swift (deci-asccl), late Dire 

G. P. Siiuires, Vice President, Rd. L. Adams, Director, 

Lvman Adams, Director and (Cashier, Prank E. Whitmore, Directt 

1). B. Tripp, Director and Asst. C'asliier. H. P. Squires, Dir(!ctor. 



directors were Jas. H. Tripp, Lymiin Adams, Geo. 
P. Squires, D. B. Tripp, Daniel K. Whitmore, 
Willsou Greene, Wm. A. Beutley. Jas. H. Tripp 
was elected president, (tCO. P. Squires, vice presi- 
dent, Lyman Adams, cashier and D B. Tripp. 
asst. ciushier. The .same officers have been contin- 
ued up to the present time. While the bank has 
lieen conducted in the interest of the stockholders 
it has been the aim of the management to a.ssist 
every legitimate business and industry in Mara- 
thon and vicinity and to favor all ])ersons who 
were in need of bank accommodations. It has 



Marathon liouse which had been used as a resi- 
dence and small store, and building an addition, 
opened tln' first regular public house, which is 
now fill' Marathon hovise. He was succeeded as 
landlord down to the present writing as follows: 
Fred Reese, William Miller. James Burgess, 

Robert Travor. Walpol(\ James Tarbell, 

Sam Tarbell, Gideon Messenger. Lewis Hazen, 
Lucien and Perry Hazen. John Bixby. Cornelius 
Brown. Zena Hawley. Andrew Howland Lewis 
Hazen. Clarke and Root Pierce and Lewis Hazen, 
Melvin W. Conger. C. J., and A. A. Tarbell. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




JAMES H. TRIPP. Pr 
tlinard, Ph.>to 



<ident First Natiniial Bimk. 



James H. Tripp, the president of the Mara- 
thon National Bank, began his xiniuterrupted ca- 
reer as a banker when, in partnership with Ly- 
man Adams the firm of Tripp & Adams opened a 
private bank in connection with their mercantile 
business in tlie Tripp & Adams, generally termed 
the Peck, block. This firm was organized to run 
a general store which they conducted for eighteen 
years, but both members, a few years earlier, had 
had experience as cashier or manager for H. J. 
Messenger in his Marathon and Canaudaigua 
banks and were widely known among the bankers 
of the State, so they were commissioned to do a 
sort of accommodation business by different banks 
in the absence of a local institution, as well as to 
accommodate Marathon people. This grew to 
the extent that required special quarters which 
they provided by par- 
titioning a part of the 
south side of their 
store and launching 
forth as the banking 
firm of Tripp & 
Adams. Responding 
to a strong sentiment 
for a national bank 
that later manifested 
itself in the commun- 
ity, these gentlemen 
undertook to organize 
a national bank and 
the result of their 
efforts wivs the incor- 
poration of the First 
National Bank of Ma- 
I'athon, which opened 
for business in June 
1SS4, and of which 
these two gf'utlemeu 
and their friends own 
and still liold the con- 
trolling interest. Mr. 
Tripp was made presi- 
dent, the position he 
still occupies. He is 
also (me of the incor- 
porators and a director 



of the Homer National bank and a member of 
the American Bankers' association in which he 
represented the State of New York as vice presi- 
dent. Mr. Tripp's position is really the head of 
the financial interests of the community and that 
fact in connection with large property interests 
he controls gives him a considerable influence in 
local afl'airs. For years he has been an active re- 
publican with an effective voice in local politics, 
and lie was a member of the State Assembly in 
is9a and ''.):3, which widely extended his personal 
acquaintanceship among the State politicians. 
Mr. Tripp was born in Ancram, Columbia county, 
N. Y., .January 17, IS^S. In ISHT his father, Dan- 
iel Tripp, moved his family to Dryden, Tompkins 
county, and in 1S3'.) to Harford, Cortland county, 
wliere he died in issy. His mother, Loritta Hav- 
iUiud, died in Ix'iH. The schooling of Mr. James 
Tripp was that of the district schools and the 
Cortland academy. During five winter tenns he 
taught school, working his father's farm the rest 
of the year until is.-ili, when he secured the posi- 
tion of clerk in the store of Peck & Adams. In 
1S.51I he was taken into partnership, the firm name 
being changed to Peck, Adams & Tripp. His 
partners were Anson Peck (deceased! and Lyman 
Adams. An interesting fact is that the mutuality 
of the business interests of J. H. Tripp and Ly- 
man Adams beginning at that time have almost 
without interruption continued since then. The 
firm of Peck, Adams & Tripp was dissolved 
in I.sCil and .Tames Tripp was induced to 
enter the Messenger bank as cashier which he did 
late in the fall of that year. In August l.S(i3, Mr. 
Messenger having opened a bank in Canaudaigua, 
Mr. Tripp was prevailed upon to remove hither 
and take charge of it, where he remained tliree 
years, being a business companion there also a part 
of the time with Lyman Adams. Both gentlemen 
there met ladies who became their wives. Mr. 
Tripp, October •"), isd"), the month following his re- 
turn to Marathon wedded Sarah Remington of 
Canaudaigua who died in IN? 1. In September 1S(;.5 
Mr. Tripp, in company with Mr. Adams, entered 
upon mercantile life in Marathon under the firm 
name of Tripp & Adams, which as has been stated 
continued for eighteen years. On November 11, 
1S7S, Mr. Tripp wedded Mrs. Louisa Bogardus, 
the daughter of Edward Farriiigton of DeRnyter. 




'■T- 



JA.MKS II. iKill' S KKSlUENi E 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




MAXWELL MILES. 
MRS. MARY ANNA MILES. MRS. MARIA LOUISA TRIPP. 

From "(Irip's" Hist Souvenir of DeRuyter]. 

Farrington Place, the country home of Mr.*;. 
Maria Louisa Tripp, the deed of which came to 
her from her uucle "William Farriiigtou who died 
a bachelor, is oue of the most eligible aud delight- 
ful country seats in JIadison county. It is situ- 
ated a mile north-east of DeRuyter and comprises 
150 acres entirely level almost entirely under 
cultivation. To the south, in plain \aew are 
tlie spires of the village churches partly hidden 
by a piece of woodland. Near the huose flows a 
clear, cold trout stream. To the north, less than 
a mile, lies that picturesque body of water known 
as DeRuyter reservoir , hemmed in by high hills 
partly cultivated and partly forest, and entirely 
encircled by a level, shady drive of more than five 
miles in extent. The residence, originally colo- 
nial, has been improved by Mrs. Tripp by the 



erection of a porch, gables and con- 
servatory, and tlie enlargement of 
those windows wliich afford tlu; west 
outlook. The work was neatly done 
by Mr. Oreen of Marathon, a skillful 
carpenter. The colonial arrangement 
of halls and interior apartnicnts has 
been retained but modernizrd with 
decorations. Mrs. Triijp. largely with 
her own hands, laid out and lirought 
into cultivation a large flower garden 
which greatly improves the lieautyof 
the place. The homestend rnnii' into 
tlie family in ISJii), wlini Ivlmund 
Farrington, Mrs. Tripp's grandfather, 
made the purchase and brought liis 
family from Long Island to make it 
their liome. Tlie only survivor of his 
eight children is Mrs. Powell of Skan- 
eateles. 

A Chautauqua Literary Society 

was organized in Marathon in 18H3 
with about twelve members. Meet- 
ings were held once in two weeks at 
the homes of the members. Several 
of the society attended the annual 
Chautauqua Assembly at Tully Lake 
aud contributed to the exercises of 
the Round Table. Most of them graduated and 
received their diplomas at that place. The so- 
ciety continued until IS'.t.s when it was merged 
into the University Center with some change in 
membership. This latter society met once in two 
weeks in the reception room of the Libraiy build- 
ing for the study and discussion of history. The 
members are D. B. aud Mrs. Tripp, Mrs. E. W. 
Seamans, Mrs. A. Hillam, Mrs. H. E. Miles, Mrs. 
Geo. W. Swift, A. C. Baker, and Mrs. A. C. 
Baker, Miss Alice Jones, Miss Margaret Kilella. 
D. B. Tripp has been President of the society 
from the commencement. 

A Noted Scout in the Madoc war was H. 
Wallace Atwell who about ISoO lived at Upper 
Lisle and was well known in Marathon. 




^-,,^l|[SJ^'!f 






#^.^~ 



•%» 




Hinjainiii, 1 icKuyl.r, I'ltut...-. FAKlilNCiTON PLACE, DERUYTKR. N. Y— Country Place uf Mrs. Maria 
Kroni "(Tri])'s" tlisl. Souvt-nir of DeliuyttT]. Louisa Tirpp. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




A. G. SMITH. 

Alfred U. Smith was oue of the reliable busi- 
ness men of Mai'athon wlio in the early part of 
the last half of the centirry just closed built up a 
reputation for the place which gave it a standing 
foremost among the towns of Cortland county. 
He was a thorougli business man, energetic and 
reliable and hopeful of bright prospects for the 
village whicli at one time he sei-^^ed as president. 
Before the \'illlage was iucorporatad he was a 
member of the school board. Although he met 
with many adversities his progressiveuess enabled 
him to keej) his bearings and close a career of 
usefulness October 'J-', l.sii4, survived by a loving 
and helpful wife and mourned by many friends. 
He was born in London, England, March 5, 1S24, 
and was educated at a select school near that city. 
After employment in a jewelry store there for a 
time he at 32 years of age came to New 
York, locating at Syracuse. For about 
three years he was employed in the boot 
and shoe store of William Jordan and on 
June 34, 1850, was married to Annie, the 
daughter of Thomas Kimber, one of the 
old families of Syracuse. Six months 
afterwards he started the boot and shoe 
business on Salina street. In July, Is.jS, 
he went to Homer and entered the em- 
ploy of Benedict & Corey as foreman in 
charge of the manufacture of boots and 
shoes, and in July 18()1, removed to Ma- 
rathon where he started the same business 
in the Carley building at the corner of 
Main and Broome streets. Three years 
later he bought the building next to 
S\vift's hardware store where he carried 
on business for several years. This build- 
ing he moved to Cortland street next 
south of the creek bridge at the time he 
took possession of the uew three storv 
block which he erected on the east side 
of Cortland street. This building lie 
moved into in lf~i7s or 'T9, taking the 
north store and there continuing his busi- 
ness until burned out by the fire of Sep- 
tember 4, 1SS4. After leasing the old 
building for awhile he sold it. In the 
south store his ^Yiie conducted the milli- 
nery business from 1S71 up to the 
time of the fire. Although the loss a. Johnsdu. Piic.tn 



from the fire seriously crippled him. In March, 
1885, Mr. Smith opened in the new building whicli 
is a handsome, substantial three story block with 
brick front with two stores on the ground floor. 
Here he continued business up to the time of his 
death. Mrs. Smith the first year the new block 
was opened carried on her business on tlie second 
floor and leased the Smith store which slie had built 
The following three seasons she did business in the 
store aud afterwards, up to the time of Mr. 
Smith's death, up stairs. She then took charge 
of his affairs and conducted his business until tlir 
spring of l^^'.t") when she sold out to 5Ir. Foster. 
Since then she lias carried on the millinery in 
tlie same store. Mr. Smith was for over forty years 
an active member of the Marathon lodge of Odd 
Fellows. 

The Fire of '84 — At 11 o'clock on the night of 
Tliursday, September 4, 1884, Bert Adams dis- 
covered fire bursting from the floors around the 
chimney in the Hazen block. An attempt had 
been made during the day to burn out the chim- 
ney wliich had become foul. This building stood 
on the northeast corner of Cortland and Main 
streets. Only a hand engine was available, but 
re-inforced by a bucket brigade, etfec-tive work 
was accomplished. Tlie fire burned rapidly and 
caught under the eaves of the Peck block on the 
southeast corner, in the residence of W. C. Sand- 
ers east of the Hazen block, an<l in the roof of the 
Marathon House on the northwest corner. The 
Hulbert block and the residences of John C. Davis 
aud George Peck were scorching. It looked like 
destruction for the town. A steamer was brought 
from Whitney's Point on a special train and 
aiTived in time to be of service. With great chtti- 
culty the fire was confined to the east side of Cort- 
land street north of Main, burning down the 
Hazen building and the Smith and the Mack 
blocks north in the order named and the Sanders 
residence. The loss was estimated at $20,000. 
Every person in town able to be present worked 
hard, and under the personal efforts of President 
of the Village Coi-wiu and Acting Chief Engineer 
Corwin Burgess, did their work in a systematic 
and orderlv manner. Goods were stacked in the 




■IMITH BLOCK. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




A. P. GREENE. 
streets and placed iu charge of watchmeu. The 
ladies served hincheou aud coffee prepared iu the 
Marathon house and G. L. Swift opened his store 
inviting the ladies to take what they required to 
feed the firemen. Water was taken from tlie river 
at Hilsinger's dam. Tlie supply was about to give 
out wheu Mr. Dellow opened his dam above aud 
a plentiful supply came opportunely. Those 
burned out were : Hazen block — L. A. Hazen, 
building and store; L. C. Ball, dry goods store; 
V. R. Wilber, saloon aud residence ; L. L. Hazen, 
residence; Smith block — A. G. Smith, building 
and shoe .store ; Mrs. A. G. Smith, millinery ; C. 
E. Boyden, residence; Odd Fellows and G. A. R. 
who occupied the same hall. Mack building — R. 
D. Mack, building, hardware store and dwelling. 
Residence, Mrs, A. G. Smith owner, W. C. Sand- 
ers occupant. Before people had time to wasli 
off the grime the enterprising editor of the 
Independent liad au 
"e.xtra" on the street. 

A. P. Oreene came 
to Marathon to reside 
iu IS74 and pursued 
liis calling as a builder 
until 1^96 when he 
accepted the position 
of stationary engineer 
for the Adams Manu- 
facturing Company, 
wliicli he has con- 
titmed to occupy. Mr. 
Greene was born in 
Willet, N. Y., June 
14, 1X45, his father, 
JohnD. Greene, being 
a carpenter, who mar- 
ried Emily Eaton. 
Mr. Greene attended 
school at Willet until 
November 7, lNCr.i, 
wlien he enlisted in 
the United States ser- 
vice as a private in 
Company II, .")Oth. N. 
Y., Volunteer Kn- 
giTieers, under Capt. 
Edwin O. Beers aud A. .lohnson, Photo. 



Col. C. B. Stuart to serve tliree years or during tlie 
war. The regiment was assigned to the :!d Brigade, 
Fit/, .Tolin Porter's division and was with the Vol- 
unteer P.rigMdc of lOngiuetTS, Army of the Poto- 
mac, during tlie leiuaiiKler of tlio war, which 
coustruc-tcil the fortifications around Petersburg 
and Richmond and built most of the pontocm 
briilgrs used liy the army during the campaigns 
of McCli'lland and Burusides. Mr, Greene was 
wifli his iTgimeut in tlie engagements of F-rede- 
rickslnirg, ( 'hancelloi-ville, Wilderue.ss, Spotsyl- 
vania anil Petersburg aud was honorably dis- 
rliargrd .Tune i:i, isd."), at Fort Barry, Va, On 
his return to Willet he took up the carpenter's 
trade and iu l.stjfS manned Helen Tripp of DeRuy- 
ter, whose death occurred August 25, IsnO, (in 
.Tune '20. iss,"), he wedded his present wife, Alber- 
tine Phetteplace, widow of Augustan L, Burgess. 
Clayton B. Greene, his sou, is connected with 
til.' rdiiorial staff of the Syi-acuse Journal. Mr. 
( liiTjii is a prominent member of the local G. A. 
R. post and is serving his tliird term on the school 
boar<l. He is a thorough loyal republican. 

Benjamin Adams — Beu,iamiu Adams was born 
in Stevenstown, Rensselaer county. New York, 
July 23, ISOS. His wife, Deidami Losey, was born 
in Oxford, Chenango county, N, Y., April 5, INia. 
They were married at Abial Losey's, father of 
Mrs, Adams, in the town of Owego, Tioga county. 
New York, on December 4, 1IS3S. Mi-. Adams 
operated mills iu different places until 1S4:^, when 
he settled at Marathon, purchased aud repaired 
an old mill aud operated it a number of years, 
subsequently abandoning it, and erecting another 
farther down the stream. Mr. and Mrs. Adams, 
with one son, afterwards remained on a farm in 
Cinciunatus for a period of twelve years, when 
they removed to Marathon. 

Population, Cortland county, towns, Federal 
census, 1900 — Cinciunatus, 913; Cortland\alle, 
3,907; Ouyler, 991 ; Freetown, 610; Harford, 763; 
Homer, 3,<S64; Lapeer, 038; Marathon, l,(i()4; 
Preble, 1,092; Scott, 852; Solon, 623; Taylor, 
7i;2; Truxton, 1217; Virgil, 1,326; Willett, 687. 
Incorporated: Cortland city, 9,014; Homer, 
3,381: Marathon, 1,093; McGrawville, 750. 




A. P. GREENES RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




.1, W. HciWDISH 

Joseph William Bowdish is the third sou aud 
fourth child of a family of eight children boru to 
Johu S. aud Euiily Bowdish. His father's family 
came from Erie county to this section, his moth- 
er's family from Tompkins eoiiuty, settling in the 
vicinity of Freetown. It was at this place that 
the subject of our sketch was born, and where he 
lived until eighteen years of age. He attended 
school at Cinciunatus, after which he became 
salesman in a store at Willet. At the conclusion 
of his engagement there, he went into mercantile 
business for himself at Texas Valley. He was 
married September 8, 1875, to Miss Emma J. 
Punderfiird, whose home was at Cinciunatus. 
Her graniU'atlicr was Gen. James B. Punderford. 
a man of distinction in his day throughout all this 
region. Her father was James B. Punderford, Jr. , 
aud her mother Cornelia J.Barnes. Mr. Bowd- 
ish and his young wife 
remained in Texas 
Valley three years, 
when they removed 
to Sayre, Pa., to 
better accommodate 
him iu business ven- 
tui'es. Mr. Bowdish 
next engaged with the 
Hitchcock Manufac- 
turing Company of 
Cortland, with whom 
he remained three 
years, being general 
salesman for their wa- 
gons and other man- 
ufactures in the west- 
ern states. Other in- 
terests recalled him 
to Texas Valley for 
a period of three years, 
at the close of which he 
removed to Marathon, 
engaging in mercan- 
tile pursuit six years 
there. Since that time 
he has been in the pro- 
duce commission busi- 
ness, aud has built up 
one of the widest aud 



most lucrative trades in his line iu this 
section. His judgment on property values is 
much sought and relied upon. He has a neat 
little office on Main street iu Marathon, just be- 
tween the Hulbert block and the store of G. L. 
Swift. Mr. Bowdish finds time outside of luisi- 
ness for church and society. He is the eftiiient 
su]ieriutendent of the Methodist Episcopal Sun- 
day .school, and an honored official in other de- 
]iartments of the church. Mr. and Mrs. Bowdish 
liavc had three children, Mrs. Gertrude, wife of 
Earl E. Mack, of the firm of Swift & Co., of Mar- 
athon, Harris J., a promising young man, who 
died three years since, and Nellie C, who resides 
with her parents in their lovely home on Warren 
street. 

The Y. P. S. C. E. of the First Presbyterian 
cliurch was organized during the montli of 
August, 1.S98. At this time there were fourteen 
young people who pledged themselves as active 
members aud the following were elected officers 
of tlie society : Pres., Ernest Conrad ; Vice-Pres.. 
L. Maude Carter: Rec.-Sec, Elsie M. Carter: 
Cor.-Sec., Edna M. Smith; Treas. Wilber Spencer. 
Since the organization there has lieeu a gradual 
growth of the society until now there is a total 
membership of 6s. This membership consists of 
31 active, 24 associate aud I'i honorary members. 
The endeavorers are willing workers and generous 
contributors for benevolences. Their meetings 
are well attended and full of interest, life and the 
spirit. They assemble in the lecture room of the 
church every Sunday, one hoiu- before evening 
service. All visitors receive a cordial welcome. 
The present officers are : Pres., L. Maude Carter: 
Vice-Pres., Ernest A. Conrad; Rec.-Sec, Dora 
Stevens: Cor.-Sec. Anna Hammoud; Treas. 
Eulalie Leach ; Pianist, Lulu Spencer. 

The Tannery Fires— PhUlips & Beutley's tan- 
nery built in 1S60 was burned to the ground Oct- 
ober ."), 1S74. In 1ST7 it was rebuilt on the same 
site and started up by Johu Duuphy (deceased) . 
In the early morning of March 2(i, 1883, the store- 
house and office were destroyed. Early in the 
moruiug of October 1 , 18S;j, flames were discovered 
by the niglit watchman, Edward (xaffuey, iu the 







.1. W . B<i\\ KISH .-^ KK.-'lUliiM I'- 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



^ «^ 



^^ * 




ROBACHER. 



MRS. A. C. RDBACHER, 



third story iu the "setting" room. By the active 
e.Kertions of the firemeu the office and store room 
and a large <iuantity of bark were saved. The loss 
was about $liO,ono. 

A. C. Robacher, who was born at Marathon, 
was the son of Joliu and Clarissa Robaclier. At 
the age of 8 years he went to Elmira and resided 
with an uncle and received his education there. 
Later he spent four years at Painesville, Ohio. In 
1858 he learned the marble trade at Erie, Pa., re- 
maining there until the spring of 1862 when lie 
first enlisted in the 16th Pennsylvania cavalry. 
In November, 1862, he was transferred to the 15th 
U. S. infantry, the regular army and served until 
the close of the war. He was promoted to or- 
derly sergeant and participated iu all the battles 
from Stone river to Atlanta with Rosccraus, 
Grant and Sherman. 
At the close of the 
war he was on the 
detective force in Mo- 
bile, Alabama. He 
speut a year in Can- 
ada. At (Syracuse and 
Rochester he was a 
partner with his 
brother in the Wil- 
cox & Gibbs sewing 
macliini' businei-s and 
three yiars with Fran- 
ces & Dutt'v, niarV)le 
dealers of Syracuse. 
For the past thirty 
years he has been en- 
gaged in the nionu 
mental business in 
Marathon. Mr. Ro- 
bacher is seniordeacon 
iu tlie Masonic lodge : 
past commander of 
Hiram Clark post No. 
154, (;. A. R., and for 
tlie past eight years 
its quartermaster; 
iind twenty years a 
member of Maratlion 
Fire department. Mrs. a. Johnson. Phot.. 



A. C Robacher, the daughter of Henry 
and Abbie Ann Williams, was born at 
Killawog, N. Y., and was married to 
Mr. Roliarhcr.lini.' IS, Iss). Herfathcr, 
wh()s.'birthi.hir,'\\;i,s Steel; I ind^;c. Mass., 
among flic plraNiiii lulls i.f lamcil Berk- 
shire, was a ileseeiidant of Hubert Wil- 
liams and Rol)ert Ashley iif ICOU. Mrs. 
Roliacher's great graml ])areuts were 
( 'olouel Thomas Williams and Brigadier- 
(Jeiieral Moses Ashley of the Revolu- 
tiniiarv war. The late Right Rev. .Tulin 
Williams, D. D., LL. D., head of the 
Kpiseopal church of America, was a 
cousin of her father's. She is a member 
of the O.K. S., the W. R.C., the Grange, 
a life member of the State Agricultural 
society and devotes much time to the 
raising of flowers. She has recently 
beeu appointed National Aide in the W. 
R. C, by Mrs. Can- of Colorado. 

Rev. Benjamin P. Ripley, pastorof the 
Methodist ehureh. a capable and instruc- 
tive preacher and a man of broad, lilieral 
views, responded to the call of the Marti- 
thon chui-ch comparatively recent and 
during his pastorate has aroused a whole- 
some interest by many originalities in his 
methods. He w^is born at Murris, Ot- 
sego county, N. Y., July 18, 1^5:^ After 
four years of applicatiou to his theological studies 
he was graduated at Fairfield, N. Y., in 1872. At 
the Oueonta session, April 14-20. that year, he 
was admitted to the Wyoming conference, being 
ordained to Deacon's orders by Bishop Merrill at 
Honesdale, Pa., April 15, 1877, and to, Elder's 
orders by Bishop Harris at Scrantou, Pa., April 
18, 1880. Having a keen relish for .iournalism and 
a desire to obtain the valued exjierience which 
newspaper work offers he conducted the Unadilla 
Times from .lanuary 1892 to April 1893, at the 
same time occupying the pulpit as the regular 
pastor of the Methodist cliurc^h iu that village, a 
charge which he held from April 1891 to April 
1894. He has also served in the order named the 
churches at Laurens, Garrettsville, Fly Creek, 
Westford, Windsor, Cooperstown and Marathon. 
On .January 29. 1876, he married Miss Helen 




A. C. ROBAC'HERS RESIDKNCE. 



38 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




appropri- 



LEWIS SWIFT, the noted Ast 

Laura Collins of Uuadilla, a union productive of 
three children, LeRoy Orniond, a gi-aduate of 
Union university, Schenectady, class of 1900, 
Leua Claire and Eva Mabel. 

Lewis Swift, Ph. D., F. R. A. S., the 
eminent astrououier, was born iu the village of 
Clarkson, Monroe county, N. Y., on the 39th 
day of February, 1820. Hence his 
ate remark that his birthday is like a 
four year periodic comet, and, only 
recurring each fourth year he is now, 
1901, astronomically, only 19 years 
old, terrestially, 81 years. Nothing 
of note merits chronicling until he 
reached the age of thirteen, when he 
had the misfortune (or good fortune) 
to break his hip, which, from defec- 
tive surgery, left him slightly lame 
the balance of his life. This eveut 
caused an entire change in his life. 
Being unable to work on his father's 
farm, he was sent to school, thereby 
receiving a better education than 
would have probably resulted had he 
been able to continue actively at his 
duties. His thirst for knowledge is 
evidenced by the fact of his walking 
a distance of over a mile on crutches 
every day not deterred by any in- 
clemency of the weather. At school, 
physics, with special reference to 
magnetism and electricity, were tin- 
chief attractions to the growing lad. 
He later attended the Clark.son acad- 
emy. In 1846, he in company with 
O. L. Swift of Marathon, New" York, 
took up the sub.iect of electricity, 
magnetism and tlie comiiien-ial tele- 
graph anil traveleil extensively lectur- 
ing upon these sub.iects. wliiih at tliat 
time Were little understood. He fol- 
lowed this for a period of three and 
one half years. In 1851 he embarked 
in the mercantile business at Hunt's 
Corners, Cortland county, N. Y. It 
was at this place that the eveut occur- 
red which was the means of his taking 



up the subject of astronomy. Previous to this 
time his interest in the science had been very 
great on account of the thoughts excited by wit- 
nessing the great star shower of 1833 and the 
great comet of 1843, but at this time he deter- 
mined to take up the study of astronomy as a life 
work, the decision being the outcome of the fasci- 
nation which Dr. Dick's Works on astronomy 
had for him. His first telescope was a three inch 
glass for which was paid the small sum of five 
dollars, the price being low on account of a seri- 
ous optical defect. In a little while the object 
glass met with disaster and was broken. Nothing 
daunted by this accident he, in 1860, purchased a 
four and one half inch comet-seeker from Henry 
Fitz of New York which he still has and with 
which all of his comets, except three, were dis- 
covered. He built a small observatory for the 
glass and continued his studies, observing nightly 
when the weather wcmld permit. Here it was 
that his first comet was discovered. About this 
time, 1858, Donati's comet blazed into sight. 
This mysterious wanderer in the regions of the 
planets, strange, marvelous, wonderful, fasci- 
nated and enthralled him, and he studied un- 
wearyingly the singular habits of this, to him, 
astounding ol.iject. He published the results of 
Ills study, and from that day to this, comets and 
the equally wonderful nebulae, have received al- 
most the whole of his attention. In 1860 he 
moved to Marathon, N. Y., where every minute 
outside of business hours was devoted to his 
science. He discovered the great comet of July 
16th, 1862, which had a tail twenty-five degrees 
long. This was the beginning of his fame. On 
April 15, 1871, he independently found the Wiu- 
necke comet, which, at the time of discovery, he 
supposed to be new. Shortly afterward word was 
received that tlie comet had been seen by Dr. 
Winnecke of Germany eight days earlier. ( )n April 




"1 r*^^^ 






otu. ] LEWIS SWIFT, making Observatiuiis iu th 
Lowe Observatory. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUTENIU OF MARATHON 



r.'th, 1872, he removed to Rochester tonducriiix his 
reseivri-hes on the lawu adjoining the lioiise, and 
later in a dark alley adjacent. His horizon was 
iiecessai'ily limited on account of the low eleva- 
tion of the telescope and he therefore gratefully 
accepted an otter of the free use of the fiat roof of 
Duft'y's cider null, situated a half nnle from his 
residence. He made this old building famous, di.s- 
coveriug there in five years, six coniets. The hard- 
ships endured during these years form one of the 
most interesting eluipters of liis life. Nothing but 
an in mci institution and an indonutalile will curried 
him through. Alrea<ly tired from his application 
to business diu'ing the day, he was compellid to 
walk over half a mile, climb three ladilers 
where a single misstep would have prei-ipi- 
tated him to the ground forty feet below. It was 
often necessary to shovel away the snow to make 
a plac'e for telescope and observer, and here he 
would work until dawn with the thermometer fre- 
quently below zero, a 
target for the cutting 
winds of the eastern 
winter. For these ra- 
pid discoveries of co- 
mets he was award- 
ed tliree gold medals 
by foreign astronomi- 
cal societies, and one 
silver medal by a 
French society. One 
of the comets dis- 
covered there was the 
fiimous Coggia comet 
which he was the first 
in the world to see. 
On .Tuly ■,".), ISTS, he 
observed the totalsolar 
eclipse at Capitol Hill. 
Denver, and electrified 
the world by his an- 
nouncement of the dis- 
covery of two iutra- 
Mercurial planets. In 
1S79 he was honored 
by the University of 
Rochester which con- 
ferred upon him the 
degree of Doctor of 
Philosophy. Honors 
began to shower uijon 
him and in ISSi the 
citizens of Rochester, 
feeling the reflected 
glory and realizing 
wliat honor he was 
bringing upon their 
city an<l also tlie difti- 
cid ties under which he 
was working, pre- 
sinted to him a mag- 
nificent Hi inch refractor 



directorship of the Mt. Lowe ob.servatory at Kcho 
Mountain, California. The 16 inch refractor was 
mounted in a suitable ob.servatory at an elevation 
of ;i,.')00 feet above the sea, and during his si.\ 
years of active work there discovered two hun- 
dred and sixty-four new uebulat^ and six comets, 
and added greatly to his previous honors. The 
famous lost Drexel comet was refound liy him 
there, a discovery of great importance and whicli 
attracted much attention all over the world. He 
lias discovered in all fifteen comets and over 1,800 
new nebulae, the number of the latter ranking 
him next to the famous Herscholls and second in 
the world. He was first married on June 2(>, 
IN.")0, to Lucretia Hunt by wh(mi he had two 
children, a sou and a daughter, Charles H. Swift 
and Maiy L. Brink now surviving, his wife dying 
September 5, 1863, at Maratlion, N. Y. On Aug. 
2-t, 1 804, he was married to Caroline Doane Topping 
of East Moriches, Long Island, who bore him three 





* J 11 r 



mm 7111111 ^ 



Baptist Clim-cli (Uelln 



THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS, 
v. Phnto), Catholic Church, Methodi-st Church (LeKciy Wile 
cKntioiiiU Churdi and Town Hall iDellow, Photo.s). 



, Photi; 



fa- 



ide by the 

mous Clarks at a cost of $13,000. This was 
housed ni a beautiful observatory built by H. H. 
Warner. Dr. Swift now turned his att(Mitiou to 
the dis('overy of neluilae, and <luring the twelve 
years' occupancy of the observatory, found with 
the great refractor, eleven huiulred, beside two 
conuits, whicli were detected with the c^omet- 
seeker In 18!)() he observed the total eclipse of 
the sun at Nelson, California, and made observa- 
tions of much value. In IkSH he independently 
discovered a comet and later (le\ . lopments i)rov<'d 
that this lia<l been seen fifteen iiiiiiutes earlier by 
an American astronomer named Brooks. The 
failure of H. H. Warner necessitated the closing 
of the oli.scrvatory, and on April 14. 18'.)4, he bade 
farewell to tlm city where nearly all of his fame 
as an iistrononu^r had been made, to assume the 



sons, two now surviving, Lewis Swift, Jr., and Ed- 
ward 1). Swift. She was a woman of rare attain- 
ments, a writer of great ability and was constantly 
spurring him oti to greater etforfs and ai'hieve- 
ments. She died March 8, l.S',)T. He has had be- 
stowed upon him nine medals, a larger number 
than any other astronomer in the world: three 
large medals of )iur(> gold awarded by the Imperial 
.\cademy of Seieners. Vieiiiui, for discovery of a 
comet each in 1^;;. :s;s and bSTl); the Lalaude 
silver medal awarded in 1S81 together with a cash 
jirize of .")()0 francs by the ]<'rench .\cadeiny of Sci- 
ences, lie being the fliirdone in the United States 
to receive it. This was for rapid discovery of co- 
m(^ts. Fdu]- lironze medids awarded by the Astro- 
nomical Siieiei\- of ihe I'ai-ilic for discovery of co- 
mets in IMi-.', IS'.i.'j, is'.iiiaiid INiMI. By far the great- 
est honor of all was his biung the recipient in 1 Si»7 of 



40 



'GRIP'S'- HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




OFFICERS THEBMtlPYLAB LODCtE, F. & A. M. 

1, M. Ashley Williams, W. M. : 2, F. S. Dellow, S. W. : 3, 8. B. Jameson, J. 

W.; 4, C. A. Brociks, Sec-.; 5, ('. E. Bovden, Treas. : 6, A. C. Robacher, S. D. ; 

7, J. E. Lombard, J. D. ; X, H. G. Talmage, 8. M. S. : !i, E. Miner, .T. M. S. : 

10, P. N. Gray, Tyler. 

the Jacksou-Gwilt bronze medal awarded by 
the Royal Astromical Society of Euglaud. This 
medal was struck from a fund left by Mrs. 
Jackson -G wilt for that purpose some years ago 
with the Royal Society, and the inference may be 
drawn from the fact that it has been awarded but 
once. Dr. Swift is a Fellow 
Royal of tlie Astronomical So- , „, 

ciety, a member of the Amen- ; N; 

can Association for the Ad- | 

vancement of Science and also 
of the Astronomical Society of 
the Pacific. Heisof amechani- 
cal and inventive turn of mind 
and among his numerous in- 
ventions may be mentioned the 
improved Automatic Riglit As- 
cension Circle. Dr. Swift is a 
man of exemplary habits, of a 
quiet, even, genial nature, and 
it is safe to say he has not an 
enemy in the w'orld. Ho lias 
never used tobacco or liquor in 
any form, but is a great believer 
in coffee as a drink, having used 
it all his life. He is today nearly 
eighty-one years of age, vigor- 
ous and healthy with full 
possession of his faculties, but 
retired fi-om active work, hav- 
ing sold his instruments, his 
intention being to spend the re- 
mainder of his life witli liis 
children. He has left behind 
him a starry, imperishable 
monument which will shine for 
untold ages to come. 

Marathon Lodge, F. & A. 

M., No. 4:!8, was organized and 
instituted June 14, 1S58, with 
Elias W. Seymour,W.M. ; Sam- 
uel M. Hunt, S. W. ; E. Clark 
Carley, J. W. It ceased work 
and was reinstated June 4, l.S(i6, 
with the following otticers: 



Eli B. Husted, W. M. ; William H 
Craine, S. W. ; Albertus A. Carley, 
J. W. The following are the Past- 
masters : Elias W. Seymour, Eli 
B. Husted, William H. Craine, H. 
P. Bryant, L. A. Hazen, James H. 
Tripp. Moses B. Aldrich, Ira L. 
Little, L. F. Ward, W. R. Pollard, 
Frederick Tarble, John H. Bovd, 
Ashley Wilhams, Henry E. Wil- 
son, C. A. McAlpine, and Louis H. 
Atwood. They have occupied 
rooms for the last twenty-tive 
years in the Mansard building at 
the west end of the river bridge 
and meet the first and third Mon- 
day evenings in each month. On 
June, 18116. its name was changed 
to Thermopylae. Tlie membership 
is over seventy and tlie lodge is in 
a very prosperous condition. The 
following are tlie otticers for lilOO ; 
Ashley Williams, W.M.: Fred S. 
Dellow, S. W. : S. B. Jameson, J. 
W. ; Charles A. Brooks, Sec. ; C. 
Eugene Boyden. Treas. ; A. C. Ro- 
bacher, S. D. ; JamesE. Lumbard, 
J. D. ; H. (4ranvilleTalniadge, S. M 
S. : E. R. Miner, J. M. S. ; Peter N 
Gray, Tyler; E. W. Hays, Organ 
ist ; S. H. Bouton, Marshall ; D. C 
Lyude, Alfred Leach, S. B. Jame 
son. Trustees. 



riarathon Chapter, Order Eastern Star, No. 

101, was instituted November 10, 1893, by Most 
Worthy Grand Matron, Elizabeth Raymond of 
Syracuse, and consisted of twenty-five members. 
It has now enrolled one hundred members who are 




(il'l l( K,l;s .M.\i;.\ riloN CHAPTER EASTERN STAR. 
1, Helen N, Pii),-e, W. M. ; :.', V.. A. Bi-ooks, W. P. ; 3, Cassie ^Y. Robacher, Sec. ; 
4, Maria Cole, Treas. ; 5, Marv Conrad, Conductress; 6, Elsie Van Vnst. Asst. 
Cond. ; 7, Ella Miller, Warder ; 8, Hattie Watrous, Adah ; !i, Eva Burs;ess, Ruth ; 
10, Lucy Allen, Esther; 11, Linnie Burgess, Martha; 12, Frances Lombard, 
Electa ; 13, Ella M. Williams, P. D. D. G. M. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOITV^ENIR OF MARATHON 




OFFICERS HIRAM l^LARK POST, G. A. R., ^SeeSk. P. 53). 
1, C. H. Bouton, Commander; J, A. P. Greene, S. V. C. ; 3, O. Courtney, Adj 
Rdbai-her, Q'm. ; 5, (J. W. Webster, Chap. ; ti, B. F. Greene, Officer of tlie Day 
Minard, Surgeon: 8, T. Diggs, Color Bearer ; !', Israel McGee. 

residents of Marathon, Cortland, Scott, Whitney's 
Point, Triangle, Lisle, LTpper Lisle and Killawog. 
Death has broken the golden chain in five places. 
The Chapter lias prospered since the organization 
and has received honors by appointments from 
the Grand Chapter: Ella M. Williams, as D. D. 
G. Matron, and C. A. Brooks Assistant (i. L. of the 
7 districts of New York. The Past Matrons are 
Hattie E. Wilson, Ella M. Williams, Permelia 
Leach and Velma Tarble. The Chapter has lieeu 
represented at the Grand Chapter by Ella M. Wil- 
liams, C. A. Brook.s, Velma Tarble and 
Cassie W. Robarlier, and is now in a 
tlonrishing condition financially and so- 
cially. The meetings are held in Ma- 
sonic Hall the first and third Friday even- 
ings in each month. The present odicers 
are ; Helen L. Page, \V. M. ; Charles A. 
Brooks, W. P.; Matie L. Dellow Assn. 
M. ; Cassie W. Robacher, Sec. ; Maria 
Cole, Treas. ; Mary Conrad, Con. ; lOlsie 
Van Vost, Asso. Con. ; t;ila Miller, War- 
der ; Alfred Leach, Sentinel; Hattie 
Watrous, Adah ; Eva Burgess, Rutli ; 
Lucy Allen, Esther; Linnie Burgess, 
Martlia ; Frances Lombard, Electa. 

Hiram Clark Relief Corps, No. 103. 

At the close of the summer in 1887 in tlui 
beautiful month of August oxir Woman's 
Relief Corps Auxiliary to that noblest of 
all organizations of brave men, tlu' 
( Irand Army of the Republic, was orgnn- 
ized by Mrs. Emma J. Carpenter-, i.f 
Syracuse, N. Y., department se( reiiii\ 
with only eleven charter members, which 
number increased to 1 T members at the 
close of 18S7. The otticers elected were : 
President, ("a8.sieW. Robacher; S. V. P., 
Albertine L. CJreene ; J. V. P., Julia 
Pierce; Treas., Maria Webster; Chap- 
lain, Rhoda Keys ; Conductor, Francis 
A. Greene ; ( Uiard, Vida Smith. In Fcb- 
niary IKKs through the President, tlu' 
Corps began their hard and active work 
to procure funds for a soldiers' monu- 
ment by giving entertainments, which 
they worked steadily at for five long 
years and were assisted by their 



noble comrades, who 
ever stood ready to aid 
in tlie glorious work, 
and by the donations 
of citizens and friends. 
A fine granite monu- 
ment was erected by 
Comrade A. C. Ro- 
bacher, Past Com- 
mander of Hiram 
Clark Post 154. On 
decoration day, ISiKJ, 
the monument was 
dedicated, and on that 
daj- long to be remem- 
bered by the W.R.C.. 
many were present 
from all suiTounding 
towns. The monu- 
ment is an ornament 
in beauty and work- 
manship and adorns 
ciur village park in 
remembrance of our 
noble dead who served 
their country and lost 
their lives on Southern 
battle fields. Hiram 
Clark Corps has not 
been idle since 
that eventful day, but she has kept up in the 
workings of the order, and relief work has been 
quite extended and now the order numbers 41. 
"Though a small corps the organization has done 
remarkably well. Since the organization, the 
corps has been called to mourn the loss by death 
of four earnest and faithful members. The fol- 
lowing Presidents have served: Cassie W. 
Robacher, Albertine L. Cireene, Frances Mitchell, 
Rosa Hamlin, Hattie E. Bentcm, Maria Webster, 
Hattie R. Fish, and Frances A. Greene. Thepre- 



W. E. 




Ill' I'll l',li> lllli.X.M ( I..\1:K \\.i.\1K.\ ^ KKI.IKl CORPS. 
1, Fnim-es Meaclunn,.!. V.P.: :.', ( ■a-ir \V. Ui>liac-lH-r. S,,-. ; :l. Al- 
hi-rlinc L. (4re,iui, Trciis.: I. Ella Sali>l.\u-v, Conductor; .I, Maria 
Cole, (iuard; il, Ella Hilsiiit;cr, Asst. ('(.nil.: T, .lulia PiiTcc, Guard : 
M, Hattie E. Bouton, Color Bearer, No- 1 ; ii. Hattie K. Fi.sh, ('. B. No. 
2; 10, Mary Smith, C.B. No. 3; 11, Maria Webster, C. B. No. 4. 



42 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




MRS. GEORUE L. SWIFT. GEORCtE L. SWIFT. 

seut officers are: President, France.^ A. Greeue ; 
S. V. P., Mary A. Ball; J. V. P., Frances A. 
Meacham : Secretary, Cassie W. Robaeher : 
Treas., Albertine L. Greene; Chaplain, Sarah L. 
Stone; Conductor, Ella E. Salisbury; Guard, 
Maria Cole; Asst. Cou., Elsie A. Hillsiuf^er; 
Guard, Julia Pierce; Color Bearers, No. 1, Hattie 
E. Benton; 3, Hattie R. Fish; 3, Mary Smith; 
4 Maria Webster; Organist, Mary Keys. The 
meetings are held each alternate Tuesday evening 
in G. A. R. Hall. 

George Lucien Swift, the late senior member 
of the firm ol^ (i. L. Swift & Sons, was at the time 
of his death the oldest active biisiness man of 
Marathon, who for forty-five years a leading 
tradesman and merchant, impressed the com- 
munity with an individuality which will endure 
for all time — an example of steadfast adherence 
to progressive, broad-guaged business lines and 
citizenship that never fades from the view of pos- 
terity. During the summer of 1900 that tenacious, 
unconquerable will power which prompted him 
when a youth to leave home and measure his skill 
and courage with shrewd and experienced busi- 
ness men. pulled him 
through a serious ill- 
ness while he was visit- 
ing his daugher, Mrs. 
(Tage Tarbell in New 
York, and he returned 
home enfeebled and 
greatly reduced in 
flesh, but with that 
buoyancy of spirits 
truly characteristic of 
him . As cold weather 
approached his health 
gradually declined but 
he persisted in getting 
out up to Thanksgiv- 
ing day, after which 
he was wholly con- 
fined to the house. 
About a week before 
he died he took to liis 
bed and although 
steadily failing re- 
tained consciousness 
until the day preced- 
ing his death. On 
December 15, 1!)00, at 
G P. M., he quietly and 
peacefully passed 
away in the presence 



of a weeping family. Possessing a fine, tall, 
commanding figure, an open and intelligent 
countenance, attractive, manly featui-es 
and an agreeable presence backed up with 
the far-sightedness and grit of the true type 
of an American, he was fully equipped for 
that success which he achieved. He began 
life and made his way througli it entirely 
on his own resources. Wlieu finally he set- 
tled in Marathon his love for the town and 
his desire to see the village grow and prosper 
ever kept him on the watch for opportuni- 
ties to open the way. Even when his busi- 
ness affairs were tne mostpressing, he turned 
away no proposition without giving it <-are- 
f ul consideration. One could not ajjproach 
him for the fiist tiiue without cxptTicncing 
a responsive glow of gond will and t'riend- 
sliip, such was the kindly welcome he hiid 
for all. He engaged quite largely in erect- 
ing village residences, in his eagerness to 
give an impetus to the growth of the town. 
Kindness and liberality found many wavs 
of lightening the burdensof poverty without herald- 
ing his genernsity thrnugh the community and his 
death is a loss which will be felt in many poor fami- 
lies. He greatlyenjoyedrecreation,po.ssessed ahos- 
pitable and sociable disposition and was an ardent 
admij-er and connesseur of the arts and sciences. 
His long business career in Marathon had made 
him widely known in Central New York. But it 
is perhaps that he as a missionary of the Morse 
gospel of electro-telegi'aphy became prominently 
known elsewhere and deserves from the stranger 
more than a passing reference. Before he had 
reached a score of years he had learned the prin- 
ciples of the new science and, guided by the 
fullest light of a conviction that it had come to 
revolutionize the business world, he Joined the 
baud of promotors who toured the United States 
in the "forties" expounding and demonstrating 
the use and potency of this new "agent" in civi- 
lization and amazing crowds of the incredulous 
with exhibitions of its utility and power. Associ- 
ated with Ezra Cornell, the great philanthropist 
who founded Cornell University, G. L. Swift 
and his cousin Lewis Swift, the distinguished 
astronomer, accompanied him on his first trip to 
the west where in the city of Chicagu then liaving 




,E'il;eiE L swu." 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




FREDERICK H. SWIFT, 
a populatiou of about ten tliousaud — a city about 
the size of Cortland of the present day — tliey 
argued the cause of tlie commercial telegraph in 
counting room, sanctum and office, with bankers, 
editors, business men and capitalist whom they 
desired to interest financially, and backed up their 
opinions with practical demonstrations on short 
distance wires and exixTimcnts and lectures in 
public halls. (Quickly stringing a wire on tem- 
porary supports across the street aud connecting 
it with the instrument at each end resting on a 
dry goods box Messrs. Cornell and the Swifts 
invited capital to step up aud behold the wonder- 
ful demonstration. Capital stood at the elbow 
aud dictated a message, then walked over to the 
opposite corner and at 
another elbow gi-a vely 
watched the ribbon of 
paper reel out its 
length, bearing the 
cabalistic symbols of 
the Morse alphabet 
which bore tlie mes- 
sage silently conveyed 
over the wire and read 
alond to its woiidi'ving 
author by the operator 
But capital was slow 
and sure and wliile the 
community welcouK^d 
the party as apostles 
of a decidedly valu- 
able, interesting and 
great discovery, mon- 
ey hungered yi^t re- 
fused to be tempted. 
George Lucifsn was 
then 19 years of age 
aud his cousin eight 
or nine years older. 
The opportunity for 
figuring in a great his- 
torical invention was 
golden V)ut gain was 
elusive, so they re- 
turned east. A con- 
spicuous instance of 
how capital shied when 
approached, illustrat- 



ing one iKiiut of view taken at that time, is related 
of the visit made by Mr. Swift to the Chicago Tri- 
bune where he urged the marvellous possibilities of 
news service by means of the Morse telegraph. 
This Kreat Cliicago daily of today with rooms 
filled with clicking instruments and spending vast 
sums every year for the service of tlie invention, 
declared that the expense would be prohibitive. 
Later improvements, such as tlie "([uad," etc., 
combined with ingenidus slirl. ionizing and mani- 
foli.ling of news dis]i:it(li> s. ivmovi-d I lii' barriers 
and still later large .•apldizalinn n<lured the cost 
.-^o that now the use of tlie wires for fully written 
dispatches is the rule in the large daily newspaper 
otti<-os, aud the use of the mails the exception. 
(t. L. Swift on a visit to Chicago during the 
world's fair was interviewed by a Tribune re- 
porter, and this is what he said : " Wlien we got 
to Chicago we were all pretty liard up; (.'ornell, 
the future millionaire, as l)ad as tlie rest. He 
couldn't pay us any salary for exiiloiting the tele- 
grapli, so it was decided that we should hire a 
hall and charge admission to our lectures. So we 
went to see the mayor and the other authorities 
and we pointed out to them how at some future 
day the electric telegraph might make a great 
metropolis of Chicago. The outcome of it was 
that we were given the iise of the court house 
free of charge for a month. The court house was 
crowded at oT'-i cents a couple. We made money 
enough to jmy all of our expenses and to buy a 
new suit of clothes apiece besides. Ezra Cornell 
needed a new suit more than any of us. He was 
really looking pretty shabby. But though the 
lectures were siiccessful Mr. Cornell did not have 
very good luck in getting subscriptions to the 
stock of the New York aud Chicago Telegraph 
Co. He got a few hundred dollars in Chicago and 
about the same amount in New York. You see 
we had to go at the capitalists in this way : 'Now 
here's a new invention, w'e want to build a tele- 
graph line between New Y'ork and Chicago. If 
the invention works how much will you subscribe?' 
On our way back east I stopped at Loudon, Can- 
ada West, and received the first message over the 




F. H. SWIFT'S RESIDENCE. 



44 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




<tE()Rge w. swift. 
telegi'aph liue then building west from Niagai-a 
Falls. The great trouble in those days was to get 
power. We used acid batteries and over a long 
distance they failed to generate a sufficiently 
strong cun-ent. So two of us learned to receive 
messages by feeling the wu-es with our fingers. 
In this way we could make out a very faint shock. 
After leaving Chicago Mr. Cornell held on to a 
great deal of the stock of the telegraph company 
and it made liim a very rich man. I staid in the 
lecture field for years and have often visited 
Chicago since that early day. but I never come 
here that I do not remember our first meeting in 
the little old court house." Tlie hand bill in 
which ]Messrs. Cornell and the Swifts announced 
that first meeting to the public was ;i stirring 
specimen of the art of advertising witli its glar- 
ing headlines announcing the sevcnil ixpcrinients. 
At the head is de- 
claimed in bold tyiie : 
"(tREAT WONDER • . 

OF THE WORLD! — 
The M.\(iXETK^ Tele- 
gr.vph will be ex- 
hibited in the coukt 
House Saturday 
EvENiNc July 81, 
1H47! At the solicita- 
tion of many ladies 
and gentlemen Mr. 
Swift has consented 
to give one more lec- 
ture, and positively 
the last one he will 
be able to give in this 
city. The entire tele- 
gi-aph including the 
galvanic battery wires 
and three registers 
will be erected in the 
room and messages 
transmitted back- 
wards and forwards 
on the wires in the 
twinkling of an eye! 
The audience can see 
both ends of the liue ! 
It will be seen how 
two persons thou- 



sands of miles apart can converse as freely 
as if face to face. Any communication which any 
person in the room \vill hand to the operator will 
be sent on the wires and instantly read at the 
opposite end." (4. L. Swift spent the best part of 
ten years in the field of demonstrating electricity, 
magnetism and kindred natural forces which were 
so little known twenty years before the rebellion 
and which greatly interested the popular mind. 
Many hiiudreds of people gathered in pubHc hallsin 
large and small towns in the east, marvelled at 
the then wonderful experiments which G. L. and 
Lewis Swift and others with whom they were at 
ditferent times associated wrought with strange 
agents — electro-magnetism, galvanism, oxygen, 
gun cotton and phosphoric lights. Undoubtedly 
more than one gi-eat mind that has opened to the 
world auxiliary inventions or improvements in 
the use and development of these agents, first be- 
came interested in student days by witnessing 
some of these very spectacular proceedings given by 
Messrs. Swift. Among Mr. Swift's papers wliicii 
are preser\"ed are hand bills published during 
that time, annoiuieing the lectures and experi 
ineuts. In the light of modern science they pre- 
sent curious as well as historical reading and are 
in many respects prophetic. Some of the larger 
bills are filled with pictorials of tlie apparatus 
which was then new and very little understood 
but now is in every day irse. The electro-fire 
alarm is announced as one of the attractions to be 
operated, the public being assm-ed that one man 
rings 19 bells in Bo.stou. The experiment will 
show how twice that number may be rung. The 
public is informed that it will be shown liow elec- 
tricity is used to protect buildings from burglars : 
also the principles of sub-mai'ine batteries and 
torpedos with which it is announced, this nation 
may defy the powers of the earth ; the purposes 
of gun cotton "a recently discovered invention 
intended to supercede powder:" and the latest 
plan for building a telegraph line across the At- 
lantic ocean, all of which as forerunners of po- 
tential agents now generally in use, was proplietic 
of wluit wa.s to follow. It is quite proliable that 
Mr. Swift and his cousin the astronomer were 
among the very last if not the last of the survivors 
of Prof. Morse's band of disciples who introduced 
for commercial purposes electro-magnetism. 




. Di-Uuw, Photo 



L. SWIFT \- SONS' GENERAL STORE. 



•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



lu tlie coiu'se of his tours Mr. Swft readied 
Hunt's Coriiers where he met his future wife, 
Louisa, the tlaufihter of Asa Hunt and on Feb- 
ruary 20, is.'io tliey were married ami at once 
settled iu Maratlion. The Huuts afti'r wlioiii the 
locality was named were one of tlie oldest families 
in the town of Lapeer who altliouf^li curiously of 
the same name were not of the same family as 
the first settlers of the town of Marathon. Mr. 



years old went to live with his uncle on a farm in 
Clarkson. Monroe county, N. Y., the father of 
Lewis Swift the famous astronomer, with wliom 
he lived as a brother, the two together studying 
tli<' luMvens, wliicli Lewis Swift became as a boy 
tliorouKlily interested in, and such crude works 
as scliool books then afforded ou gravitation, 
magnetism and electricity. At last, when George, 
the youngest, was eighteen the two went out to- 




MAKATiloN AND KILIJ )W( 



1, Killowog Bridfte ("Grip," photo) ; 2, "Twenty Yfiirs Aro, Dear Tom," (snap-sliot on Killowog school ground 
by "Grip"): 3, TiouKhnioga River, south from KillowoK bridne ("{}np,"Dhotol : 4, Birdseye of Marathon from 
B. F. Green's res. : Moon Hill in the hackRround I'Grip,"^ photo i : n. Cable Ferry, e.xtemporized when Main street 
bridge, Marathon, was earried away. November, lilOO I Mrs. E H. Barnes, photo) : (i, A F'ishernmn— who is he r 
7, M. E. Chureh, Killowog, i-ri-eted Is'OT (A. .Johnson, photo) : s, Hehool house, Killowog, lA. .Johnson, photo). 



Swift was born in the town of DeRuyter, Madi- 
son county, N. Y., September 3. 1k2T, his fatlur 
Herman Swift, who was a farmer, is buried in 
the DeRuyter cemetery. His mother lies in tlic 
Marathon ciuueterv. G. L. Swift when fittecm 



getlieras has been stated. While deep in business 
atlairs in Maratlion Mr. Swift never forgot the 
ob.iec-t of his early labors and it was for a time 
tliat, Marathon liaving no local paper, lie pub- 
lislied a monthly newspaper, the first in the vil- 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL, SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



lage, which though printed iu Homer was well 
and thoroughly edited at home as was shown by 
the many originalities published in its columns, 
especially on local topics. It was appropriately 
called the Marathon Telegraph. Mr. Swift was 
one of the original stockholders and incorporators 
of the First National Bank and a director from 
its beginning to the time of his death. He was 
one of those who procured the location of the 
Stockwell Wagon Works in Marathon at a time 
wlieu this enterprise gave promise of becoming a 
large manufacturing establishment. The organ- 
ization of the volunteer fire department appealed 
forcibly to him and he became one of the most 
powerful friends of that branch of public service. 

Q. L. Swift & Sons, who conduct one of the 
largest general retail mercantile establishments in 
the county, occupy three connecting stores 
in East Main street, in one of which G. L. Swift, 
the senior partner, began business in Marathon 
forty-five years ago. This firm handles at this 
place — the oldest business in the village — grocer- 
ies, drugs, hardware, stationary, etc. It also does 
a large tin, roofing, plumbing and general house- 
hold supply business, at the same time having the 
controlling interest in the firm of S^vift & Co., in 
the Tarbell building, a co-pai-tnership with C. A. 
Mack and Gage E. Tarbell, which was formed 
two years ago and which carries on a large busi- 
ness in groceries, diy goods, notions, boots and 
shoes and kindred lines. When G. L. Swift took 
up his residence in Marathon in 1S55 he bought 
the drug business of Reed & Fletcher, then being 
conducted in the middle one of the three stores. 
At that time a part of the west store was occupied 
by the Messenger bank which a few years later 
vacated the premises when G. L. Swift removed 
the partition and took possession of the whole of 
it. He afterwai-ds added harness goods which 
were manufactured and sold in the second story. 
In 1856 he in company with Lewis Swift and Asa 
Hunt bought the hardware business of Newell & 
Taft in the adjoining store on the east, but a short 
time later he retired from the firm, continuing 
however, in the original business. Tlie hardware 
store afterwards passed into tlie hands of Robin- 
son & Swift, and E. Robinson & Son, from whom 
the firm of (4. L. Swift & Son, fifteen years ago, 
repurcha.sed it. Since then the firm has occupied 
the three stores. On September 1, 1S81, Fred H. 
Swift, the eldest son, became a partner with his 
father and on January 1 , 1894, George W. Swift 
was admitted to the firm giving it the present 
name of G. L. Swift & Sons. Messrs. Fred H. 
and George W. Swift, like their father, take spe- 
cial interest in promoting the welfare of the vil- 
lage and giving encouragement to public improve- 
ment. The former upon leaving school at about 
18 years of age, entered liis father's store as a 
clerk. Recognizing the advantages of a prosper- 
ous manufactiiring enterprise to a community 
they interested themselves in securing the loca- 
tion here of William Stockwell & Sou. some years 
ago engaged in manufacturing wagons at 
Hunt's Corners. A stock company was formed 
in which the Swifts were the most largely inte- 
rested and commodious buildings were erected 
and fully equipped. The wagons which the com- 
pany turned out were conceded to be the best that 
could be made. The cost of production was above 
what the market could stand and the company 
was consequently forced out of busLuess, the 
buildings afterwards being taken by the Climax 
Company and a few years later burned. Fred 
Swift, who is the president of the Climax Road 
Machine company, and Gage Tarbell on Septem- 



ber 20, 18S3, bought out the jewelry business of 
L. Crittenden, the latter selling out to F. H. 
Grain, who later bought out the remaining inter- 
est. 

The Ladies Aid of the Presbyterian church of 
Marathon has been a faithful and efficient Auxil- 
iary of tlie church for many years. It was organ- 
ized sometime in the forties. Mrs. Wm. Bradford 
was the first President and Mrs. John M. Roe 
Secretai-y. Both of these ladies are still living, 
Mrs. Bradford in her 'J5th year and Mrs. Roe over 
80. Its work has been varied and in channels too 
numerous to mention all, and whatever it has un- 
dertaken it has carried to a successful completion. 
Many hundi'ed dollars have passed through their 
hands. Mainly through their efforts the annex 
was built (consisting of parlor and kitchen) and 
nicely furnished for the purpose for which it is to 
be used, consisting of chairs, tables, dishes, cook 
stove &o. , and more recently were purchased a fine 
piano sold by A. Mahan for |300, besides helping 
on pastor's salary, paving organist and organ, 
and paying chm-ch debts; and in ways too 
numerous to mention have always been will- 
ing to lend a hand where most needed. For 
several years every autumn a box or barrel of 
new and serviceable clothing was sent by the 
Ladies Aid to homes for the friendless in New 
York City. Many have been the transformations 
wrought and good accomplished by this same old 
fashioned but faithful Ladies' Aid Society, who 
have not wearied in well doing but are still at 
work, under the leadership of Mrs. A. P. Greene 
as President; Mrs. G. H. Smith, Secretary ; Mrs. 
Clark Mack, Treasurer. The renovating, newly 
carpeting, papering of the church to which it is 
an Auxiliary, assisted by the Bethalouians, prove 
it is not past its usefulness, though rather 
ancient. All honor to the more recently formed 
society in connection with the Sabbath school, 
namely ; the Bethaloniaus, composed of Dr. Blue's 
class, also the Loyal Circle who have wrought 
efficiently and nobly : but for persistent, steadfast, 
persevering work, overcoming many obstacles 
and discouragements, the members of the Ladies' 
Aid Society of the Pi'esbyterian church of Blara- 
thon may well feel proud of their time honored 
name and record. 

The Water Supply of Marathon are everflow- 
ing springs piped into a reservoir on East Hill 
which has a capacity for 700,000 gallons and cost, 
including pipes and hydrants $35,000. There are 
.55 hydrants, 235 taps and 9 miles of pipe. The 
pressure is sufficient to throw as much water as 
may be required over any building iu the village. 
In 1878, $500 was appropriated for a reservoir on 
Grove street in the west end of the village. This 
in a measure answered for a reservoir for fire pur- 
poses onlj-. On June 14, 1884, a committee of citi- 
zens appointed by the board of trustees recommend- 
ed a resen-oir on Cemetery Hill to be filled from 
wells by a windmill, or from springs on Abram 
Young's farm. The former was reported to cost 
$2,220. and the other $3,590. The trustees adopted 
the windmill plan, whicli in IMarch 1884 was lost 
at a special election, the vote standing a tie, 44 to 
44. At the election of June 30, 1884, it was car- 
ried, 51 ayes, 28 nays. In 1890 $400 was approp- 
riated to lay additional pipes to hydrants, which 
in 1894 were extended to the west end of the vil- 
lage green. In 1897 the village voted $2s,000 to 
construct the present system, on which work was 
begun in September that year. The old pipes in 
the Cenietery Hill system were made a part of the 
modern system, the Cemetery Hill and Grove 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




street reservoirs bein;? abnudoiiert and filled up. 
The api)ropriiitiou of *2S,0()0 was iiisutticieiit to 
complete the works and au extra appropriation of 
!5!o,000 was made. Two thousand dollars more 
was required before the works were finished. 

Gage E. Tarbell, the second Vice President of 
the Equitable Life Assurauce Co., of New York, 
is one of the distinguished meu of the present 
time who began life in Marathon at the foot of 
the ladder and tlirough his own exertions, dis- 
playing rare executive ability and high bu.siuess 
(|ualities, worked liis way from position to 
position until he attained next to tlie highest 
place of respnnsil)ility in one of the greatest finan- 
cial corpiiratioMs in this country. He was born in 
Smitlivillc, Clicnango Co., N. Y., Sept. 30, l.S.jG, 
and was graduated in early youth from the col- 
legiate department of the Clinton Liberal 
Institute. He then took up the study of 
law and with the pluck and determina- 
tion to make his way in the world which 
are characteristic of American youth, 
obtained means to educate himself in 
tliat profession by teaching school. Upon 
liis admission to the barin 18s0, lie came 
to Marathon to engage in practice, open- 
ing an office in the Peck building and at 
<iMce gaining the confidence of all classes 
in the community. At about this time 
he became acquainted with Miss Ella, 
the daughter of G. L. Swift, the leading 
lueichaiit in the village, an acquaintance- 
sliip wliich ripened into love and was 
followed on Dec. 21, ISSl, in the celebra- 
tii)n of their nuptial engagement. To 
them were born two cliildren, Swift 
'I'arbell, Nov. :!(), 18.S2, anil Loui.se, Feb. 
IS, issc. Kiigagingashedid in a general 
law practice, such as is re<|uired in a 
rural locality Mr. Tarbell, during the four 
years of his residence in Marathon, 
became especially informed and well 
fitted in a legal sense wliich has been 
of great advantage in many ways in the 



higluir position which he subsecpiontly attained. 
While his success as a lawyer was assured and his 
practice remunerative his inclinations were for a 
more extended field of personal effort and so \u' 
began writing insurance for the Eiiuitable and in 
18S4 moved to Binghamton, N. Y., as manager of 
the Southern New York State department. Two 
years later he was transfered to the West as gen- 
eral agent for Wisconsin and Northern Michigan, 
with headquarters at Milwaukee. There his 
great ability obtained full sco])e and his success- 
ful manjigemcnt of tliat department was rewarded 
with a partnersliip mterest in the Northwestern 
Department which brought about his removal in 
1S8H to Chicago. During the following four 
years he controlled the business in that large field. 
It was increased to such an extent by his vigor- 
ous, fruitful efforts that the business written by 
that agency alone exceeded the entire business of 
more than two thirds of all the old line companies 
operating in the United States. In addition to 
liis i)urely executive work he wrote up personally 
an average of over two million ibillars of business 
per annum, a record that has probably never been 
lieaten in the history of life insurance business. 
The rare and valuable qualifications as well as 
the hustling iiirthuds displayed at that time 
recommended Mr. Tarbell to the shrewd, business 
head of the company, the late President, Henry 
B. Hyde, who called him to a higher and more 
responsible position, that of third Vice President. 
So in is'.ci he removed to New York and was 
placed in full charge of the agency force, a greater 
field of ojierations wherein he has succeeded in ac- 
quiring that high reputation as a "business 
getter" which has made him widely known in 
the insurance world and has advanced him to the 
highest subordinate position in the society, the 
second Vice Presidency, an appointment which 
he received in May, I'siiit. While a resident of 
Jlarathon Mr. Tarbell constiucted the handsome 
three story brick building known as the Tarbell 
block, the most imposing structure in town con- 
taining stores with flats overhead. Mr. Tarbell 
still holds a large circle of friends in Marathon 
who welcome his periodic return among them 
every year. 




S. Dellow. I'hoto. THK TAKBELI- HllLUlNG. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




NATHANIEL BoUTON. 



MKS. JULIA A. BOUTt)N 



Nathaniel Bouton, sou of Nathaniel and Lydia 
Stevens Bouton, was born in Virgil, N. Y.. May 
28, 1818. His boyhood years were spent on his 
father's faiin, with such educational advantages 
as were to be obtained from the district schools of 
that day. At the age of nineteen, preferring a 
mechanical trade to farming, he came to Mara- 
thon to learn cabinet making from his brother-in- 
law, Joseph Benedict. Two years later he 
purchased the shop and business which he con- 
ducted till failing health compelled a change to 
out door pursuits. A few years were spent in 
farming and house painting, when he engaged in 
insurance business which he continued until his 
deatli. As a young man he took an active inter- 
est in military affairs and served for a considera- 
ble time as Captain in the "Old Militia." In 
politics he was one of the early Abolitionists, but 
united with the Republi- 
can party when that was 
organized. Public spirit- 
ed in the highest degree 
he was always deeply 
interested in all that 
affected the welfare of 
his village, town or 
country. Though never 
offensively partisan and 
ever courteous to oppon- 
ents, he was agressive, 
fearless and firm in de- 
fense of what he con- 
sidered right. He never 
sought office, but was 
many times called to 
serve inofficial capacities. 
During tlie twenty-four 
years in which he per- 
formed the duties of a 
Justice of tlie Peace, sn 
equitable were his deci- 
sions that rarely, if ever, 
was one of them reversed 
by the higher courts. 
For more than thirty 
years he led the choir of 
the M. E. church, besides 



assisting from time to time in the choirs 
of other churches. His enthusiastic love 
of music and his refined taste led him 
to labor earnestly and unselfishly to raise 
its standard of excellence, not only in 
his own choir but also in the community 
at large. He married Julia E. South- 
worth, of Hillsdale, Columbia County, 
Sept. 3, 1834. Their children are C. H., 
Bouton and EleanorC.Mackellarof Mara- 
thon, and Julia E. Hyatt, Jane M. Purvis, 
Amanda G. Smith and Mary A. Smith 
of Cortland. Mr. Bouton died February 
•-'. 1886,and his wife October 19, 1899. 

Hannah Perry Mallery, wife of Cap- 
tain Patrick Jlallery.Sr. , was the daughter 
of Stephen and Lucy Hatch Olmsted of 
Stockbridge, Mass., and was born April 
17, ITiS'J. During her girlhood days she 
was privileged to en.ioy the society and 
friendship of the Edwards, Sedgwick, 
Dwight and Williams families, names 
that have since made Stockbridge fa- 
mous. Later the famUy removed to 
Columbia county where she married a 
Mr. Winchell. About 1823 she came to 
Marathon as the second wife of Captain 
IMallery whose first wife was her 
sister, and whose untimely death had 
left the children motherless. To these children 
she gave a mother's care and received in return 
the affectionate regard that her unselfish labor 
for them had earned. After the deatli of Captain 
Mallery, which occurred March ls38, she remained 
on the farm three years and then took up her 
residence with her youngest daughter. Here she 
was for thirty-three years, and until her death, 
unlike the proverbial mother-in-law, an lionored 
and welcome member of the family. Her active 
life was spent for those she loved. No labor was 
too heavy, no sacrifice too great for them. Her 
sunny, cheerful and unselfish nature, her youth- 
ful spirit that never grew old, ner ready sym- 
pathy with and interest in young people made 
her societj" sought for by friends of all ages. The 
trials and sorrows that came to her were liorne 
bravely, .silently, uncomplainingly. She was for 




A. Johnson Photo. RESIDENCE OP LATE NATHANIEL AND JULIA BOUTON. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




CHARLES H. BOUTON. 

many years a cousisteut member of i\v Baptist 
cluirch. Her childreu who had followed their 
mother to her uew home and established homes 
of their owu. were Emiline, who man-ied Isaac T. 
Lewis, and Julia, wife of Natliauiel Boutou at 
whose house hiT death oociin-ed May 23, 18?:!. 

Charles H. Bouton has been engaged in the 
pork and produce business in Mai'athon for thirty 
years, an enterprise in which he is recognized as 
the leading dealer in this section. His building 
stands fm Broome street in the rear of his resi- 
dence fully equipped with all the necessary appa- 
ratus for cutting up and packing pork and con- 
verting it into the many taUe commodities whicli 
he supplies to the community. Greatly interested 
as he is in tine horses he has tm'ned his attemion 
in that direction whenever on many occasions he 
has found that he could become the possessor of 
a swiftly gaited or 
proudly bred animal. 
Mr. Boutou has ope- 
rated in trade vent- 
ures quite largely, in 
which he has both 
iiuide and Inst miitiev. 
He was one of those 
whoas.sisted ingettiug 
the Stockwell Wagon 
works here and wlio 
investedinit. His de- 
sire has always been 
to lend a liel()ing hand 
if by so doing he rould 
awaken the town to 
commercial and man- 
ufacturing activity. 
At one time he in- 
vested largely in cut- 
ters, to finish up and 
sell to the consumer. 
Mr. Bouton as the 
coninumder of the lo- 
cal (irand Army Post 
takes considerable in- 
terest in tlie welfare of 
his old comrades and 
is a fuitlif\d and reg- F. 8. DcUow, Plmti). 



ular attendant at all camp fires and conventions 
of vets that are within reasoiuible traveling dis- 
tance, with the result that he lias received nuiiiy 
honors at the hands of his old army companiims. 
His father. Narhuniel Bouton, came from a Virgil 
farm to Marathim when lit years old (in islii) and 
was a prominent citizen to the time of his death. 
Charles Bouton was born in Marathon, A\igust 
23. is4fl, and up to the time of tlie breaking out of 
the Civil war followed the trade of painting. On 
August 23, 1803, he enlisted in the l.oTth regiment 
and was with his command at Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorville. Gettysburgh, Hagerstown and 
the bombardment of Sumter, being mustered out 
.July ;iO, 1865. He returned home and started in 
tlie produce business at the depot and on October 
1."), lx()7, married Harriet E., the daughter of 
Alanson and Harriet Ben.iamin of Marathon. 
Their daughter is Mrs. Mary (George W.) Swift 
of Marathon. In 1873 Mr. Bouton bought the 
produce liusiuess of Burch & Burgess and selling 
out in lsT:j purchased the agricultural implement 
business of .Samuel Conger, which he has since 
carried on. Mr. Boutou is a democrat and has 
served the town seventeen years as constable. 

The Ladies' Aid Society of the M. E. Church, 
of Marathon, was organized July i), 1879, when 
the following officers were elected: President, 
Mrs. O. C. Carley ; Secretary, Miss Jennie Bou- 
ton. This society was reorganized as the Ladies' 
Tlnion Nov. !l, Jsss. Officers: President, Mrs. 
Joseph Limbergher; 1st. Vice President, Mrs. 
Delos .Johnson ; 2nd. Vice President, Mrs. Charles 
Adams; Secretary, Mrs. (Jrsou H. Smith; Assist- 
ant, Mrs. (rusta White ; Treasurer, Mrs. Patrick 
Mallery ; ami seven dii-ectors. Following are the 
present officers : President, Mrs. F. J. McFarland ; 
1st Vice President, Mi-s. B. P. Ripley ; 3ud Vice 
President, Mrs. Fannie Livingston; 3d Vice 
President, Mrs. A. A. (3gden; Secretary, Mrs. 
Geo. Miller; Treasurer, Mrs. James Lombard; 
Assistant, Mrs. D. McKellar, and nine directors. 
Object of this organization is to plan and carry 
forward much, which will, with the blessing of 
God, jiromote the interest of the church. 

The Hilsinger Mill, now in ruins, is the site 
of the lii'st saw mill built by .Tohn Chamlier- 
lainin 1808. 




CHARI,KS H. B(HIT(IN'8 RESIDENCE 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 





MRS, SALLY CARLEY. 



Alanson Carley was boru iu Uuadilla, Otsego 
county, New York, June («, 1797. He reared a 
large family of children four of whom are living, 
two sons and two daughters: — A. A. Carley of 
Cortland, C. C. Carley of Homer, Mis Sarah Jane 
Adams of Marathon and Mrs. Esther A. Hunt, 
who still lives on the same premises where her 
father spent his entire life. E. Clark Carley, the 
oldest son and a life long resident of the town, 
died six years ago. Alansou Carley was for many 
years a prominent and influential citizen of Mara- 
thon and did much to advance the interests of the 
town and county iu which he resided. He was 
the sou of Ebenezer and Joharma Carley, who 
came to Maratlion then a dense and rugged wild- 
erness when Alauson was two years of age and lo- 
cated on the west side of the river, being the same 
premises where Mrs. Esther A. Hunt now resides. 
His father was the first captain of a military com- 
pany organized in this section of the country 
which probably in- 
cluded a territory 
equal toabout one-half 
of the present county 
of Cortland. For many 
subsequent yearsthere 
were no schools in 
Marathon except dur- 
ing a few months of 
the year. The child- 
ren of sufficient age 
were kept at home to 
assist in the labors of 
the farm, and to per- 
form such other ser- 
vices as they were able 
to do to gain a liveli- 
hood and help support 
the family. Mr. Car- 
ley, conseiiuently, had 
but very limited ad- 
vantages for acquir- 
ing an education ; but 
in spite of all adverse 
circumstances, he 
managed by close ap- 
plication of the means 
at his command to ob- 
tain such a practical 



knowledge of the ordinary branches 
of education as to qualify him for the 
public duties he was afterward called 
upon to discharge. He was the recip- 
ient of many civil offices of trust and 
responsibility, serving as justice of 
the peace and supervisor of the town 
for a number of years. In 1828 he 
was elected a member of Assembly 
and represented the county creditably 
in the State legislature. He was 
elected sheriff of the county iu 1840 
and served in that capacity for one 
term. He was oue of the promoters 
(if tlie Syracuse and Binghamtou rail- 
roail, and took an active part iu its 
coustruetiou, serving on the board of 
directors until it was completed and 
in successful operation. He pur- 
chased the most of the riglit of way in 
the southern part of Cortland and the 
northern part of Broome counties, 
and built tlie present depot building 
at Marathon from his own private 
funds. He also built the hotel now 
known as the Hotel Lynde. He was 
one of the original stockliolders of the 
)N CARLEY' First National bank of Cortland, and 

a member of its board of directors un- 
til his death. He was oue of the earliest merchants 
of ISIarathon and secured a large and lucrative trade 
for many years. He was for a long time tlie owner 
of thr Maratlion Flouring mills and iu company 
with liis son .\. A. Carley, did a large and profitable 
business. During the stirring scenes of tlie civil 
war he was the postmaster at Marathon, and at 
that time he, with others, exhibited their patriot- 
ism by pledging themselves to support the widows 
and families of the volunteers who enhsted from 
Marathon, during their absence. In this pledge, as 
in all others, he was as good as his word. He 
was possessed of a kind heart, an amiable and 
benevolent disposition, and made strong friends 
with nearly everybody. Before the war in politics 
he was a Whig, but on the disrupticm of that 
party on the questiou of slavery, he cast liis for- 
tunes vrith the Republican party, and was always 
active and prominent in its councils. In religion 
he was a Universalist in his belief, and was al- 
ways a true christian gentleman, giving support 




Dellow, Photo. 



MANSARD BLOCK, erected by Alan.- 
and Mrs. C. M. Chapman. 



Carley ; owned by Mr 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




MRS. E8THER HUNT 



D. DELOS HtrNT 



not only to his own but to all of the churches 
where he resided. He died April S, IsTi). His 
wife was Sally, daughter of Tlionias and Hester 
Oourtright, of Union, Broome county. She was 
a very amiable wonuin, and was greatly respected 
and beloved by all fur her kind, benevolent and 
christian virtues. Shi' died ( )ctober •">, 1872, aged 
seventy-three, in posv, >-inii nf a strong faith and 
a firm hope of bliss licyond rlie grave. 

Dr. Japeth Hunt, the tirst settler took up laud 
south of tlie present village and built a log hut 
in 1796, which stood on laud now owned by G. P. 
Squires between the river and the highway. He 
served in the French and revolutionary war as 
surgeon and died March 7, 179M, ninety-seven 
years old. His remains are in the Marathon burial 
ground. His son William married Ainiie, tlii^ 
flaugliter of Matthew- 
Cole ; John died iu 
Genoa ; Nancy mar- 
ried Abram Smith and 
died December 28, 
1 80S. She had two 
sons Cyrus and Na- 
than, (tlie latter was 
the father of ex- Judge 
A. P. Smith of Cort- 
land) ; Betsey married 
Oliver Mack and lived 
in Genoa; Hannah 
marriedNathau Thorp 
of the same place. 
John, the eldest son, 
married Lydia, daugh- 
ter of Maj. Samuel 
Mallery of Hillsdale, 
Columbia c()unt.y, N. 
Y., and moved to Ma- 
rathon in 17".)7 with 
his wife and a daugh- 
ter three years old and 
a sou six months old. 
He bought 10(l acres 
and built the first 
dwelling in the pre- 
sent limits of Mnra- 
tlion— a log hut. A. .7oliiison, Pliotd 



Here Dr. Samuel M. Hunt, John's son, 
was born (the first wlute birtli in Mara- 
thon townsliip) October ;iO, 17118; John 
held the office of Justice of the Peace up 
to his death — about fifteen years — which 
occurred August 8, ISlo. His widow died 
in herninety-si.xth year, May 7, I8(i(!. 

D. Delos Hunt pursued a business 
career in JIarathon of nearly forty years 
and left behind him a record of probity 
and integrity that has engi-aven his 
name high among the men who made 
Marathon a busy hive of industry. Per- 
sonally and socially he was of an agree- 
able and pleasant nature; kind and 
charitable ; ever willing to lend a help- 
ing hand and zealous of his good name 
and business ability. The news of his 
death came upon the community like a 
shock, though Ins long illness had pre- 
pared his friends to expect the worst 
His death was mourned by all who knew 
him and who realized, many of them, 
that they had not only lost a dear per- 
sonal friend, but that his departure from 
among them would be a serious loss to 
the community. His long, last illness 
was a rare example of patience, hopeful- 
ness and fortitude. Mr. Hunt was the 
descendant of the original first white settler in the 
valley ,.Japeth Hunt, whowas hisgreat-grandfather. 
Dr. Samuel M. Hunt, his father, who was the first 
white child born iu the town, passed most of his 
days in that vicinity, an esteemed phj'sician, an 
honored citizen and a man of rare literary attain- 
ments. D. Delos Hunt was born in Ui)per Lisle, 
Broome county, N. Y., March 12, 1S2S, and was 
<)2 years of age at the time of his death. From 
the farm he went into trade in the capacity of 
clerk in different places and coming to Marathon 
in his 24th year went into the dry goods business 
on Cortland street, in the second building stand- 
ing at the north end of the bridge. On Jan. 24, 
18.");!, he married Esther A., the daughter of Alan- 
son Carley rif Marathon, by whom there were two 
children, Mrs. O. M. Chapman and J. Warren 
Hunt, all of whom survive him. For many years 




HKSIDKNCK OF MRS. ESTHER HUNT iCarIfy Homestoad). 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




SAKAH J. ADAMS. 



CHARLES C. ADAMS, 



he was engaged in business on the west side of 
the river, where at the end of the bridge in 1869, 
he built the Mansard block, then considered an 
innovation in local structures aud now the largest 
office building in the village aud moved into it 
taking into partnership Oscar Wildey, who retired 
from the business in 1X75. lu 1SS2, C. M. Chap- 
man, his son-in-law, became his partner which 
continued up to Mr. Hunt's death. He was re- 
garded as one who favored local improvements, 
a successful progressive business man and was 
elected to fill different public offices including 
president of the village and village trustee. 

Charles C. Adams is of English decent. He 
has a full and clear trace of liis ancestry back for 
three hundred years or to Heni-y Adams, his 
great ancestor who came from England about 
l(i82 and settled at Braiutuer near Boston, Mass. 
Charles O. Adams is a 
son of the late Moses 
Adams of Marathon 
and was born on liis 
father's farm at Kill- 
owog, N. Y., May 30, 
1S33. He is of a fam- 
ily of seven children 
all living at this date 
(November 20, 11)00), 
the oldest, Lyman, be- 
ing T5 and Walter, the 
youngest, (iO. His 
father died at the age 
of S8 and his mother 
at Si). Very few f;iiu- 
ilies are equal in loug- 
e%aty. He was mar- 
ried October 6, 185(i 
to Sarah J. Carley. 
They have tliree child- 
ren: A. Carley Ad- 
ams, Helen Adams 
and Mai-y B. Adams 
McKee. Charles was 
educated at the dis 
trict school and Ho- 
mer academy . His 
first work was on his 
father's farm which 



continued until he was about twenty 
years of age. His next work was that 
of a clerk in the general stores of H. 
J. Messenger at East Virgil, N. Y., 
better known as Gridley Hollow ; then 
in the store of Richardson & Mess- 
enger at Canandaigua, N. Y. ; then in 
the store of R. P. Burhans & Co., at 
Marathon, N. Y., also in the store of 
Peck & Adams. In the fall of 1855 
he engaged in a general mercantile 
business with A. A. (^'-arley at Mara- 
thon, N. Y., under the firm name of 
Carley & Adams. After two years 
he retired from the business and en- 
gaged with D. D. Hunt in a general 
grocery and provision business at Ma- 
rathon, N. Y., which continued about 
two yeai's when he succeeded E. C. & 
A. A. Carley in the business of a 
general store at Marathon, N. Y., and 
for many years continued in that 
business having for a short time as 
partners Capt. A. H. Barber, also Levi 
S. Burch. About 18(;4 he engaged in 
building dwelling houses and selling 
building lots, having purchased land 
of the late Alauson Carley in the 
village of Marathon for that purpose 
through which he laid out Grove street 
and Centre street and extended Academy street to 
South street. In 1890 he commenced the manufac- 
ture of school aud family blackboards aud has con- 
tinued in that business to the present time. The bus- 
iness is carried on under the firm name of The Ad- 
ams Manufacturing company of Marathon, N. Y. , 
C. C. Adams being manager and A.C.Adams secre- 
tary and treasurer. The business is yearly increas- 
ing, the goods being sold throughout the United 
States. Some of the goods ai-e also exported toEur- 
ope and South America. Sarah J.Adams, wife of C . 
C. Adams, was born at Marathon, N. Y., March 3, 
11S3T. She is the daughter of the late Alanson 
Carley of Marathon. She was educated at the 
district scliool at Marathon and at a ladies' .semi- 
nary at Binghamtou. Her residence is located on 
the homestead land of her father, being land on 
which her grandfather, Ebenezer Carley, settled 
at an early day. 




1 UB ii 








MK. AND MRS. C. ADAMS' RESIDENCE. 



'(JRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



Hiram Clark Post, — [see "Soldiers' Moim- 
meiit," p. i\\. Hiram Clark Post, No. 154, Dept. 
of N. v., G. A. R., was organized April ■>4, 1880, 
iu ( )dd Fellows Hall, theu located in the Smith 
block, which was subsequently burned. The In- 
spector General, B. T. Wright, and comrades A. 
Seager, J. D. Frederick, J. L. Corbin and H. M. 
Kellogg from Post Grover, No. '.»8, of Cortland, 
unistercd iu the charter members as follows: 
M. B Aldrich, C. ; A. C. Robacher, S. V. ( '. : 



shot on picket duty. One of the last killed in the 
army of tlie Potomac. Of the charter members 
tliree are still active members, six liave moved 
away, one has died and two have been dropped 
from tlie roU. Since its organization ninety-nine 
comrades have been mustered in ; of them there 
are at present but twenty-four members in good 
standing: — A. C. Robacher, (Jeo. W. Webster, 
Oscar Courtney, C. H. Bouton A. P. Greene, A. 
G. Keyes, Peter Rackmeyer, Thad. Diggs, Wm. 
K. Minard, Duane Burgess, Seymour Hults, John 
P.. Richardson. E. P. Johnsou, F. R. Greene. 




A. .lolinson, Photos. liKdlP nF I'l, 

K.\ST STREET, north from tlii> Ih'IkI. 
BK.\DLKY STKKKT, south from near the ccmctcrv 
WARRKN STHEKT, lookini; east. 

(4eo. W. Webster, J. V. C. ; J. G. Matteson. 
Chap. ; O. G. Underwood, C^. M. ; Oscar Court- 
ney, S. N. R. G.; H. R. Rider, O. D. ; Wm. 
Dellow, O. G. ; A. D. McDougal, Lieut.; H. R. 
Butman, Adjt.; H. O. (Jusley, S. M. ; Wm. (i. 
Bennell, Q. M. S. Hiram Clark Post took its 
name from a lieutenant of the 185th regiment 
who bravely lost his life before Petersburg, being 



(il;d\ h, S'IKKKT south from W. Main. 
ACADEMY STREET, south from W. Main. 
WEST MAIN STREET, cast from Academy. 

( Icorge I\Ierrick. Clark Pierce, Chas. H. Miner, 
Henry Youngs and Wm. McGee. The following 
have officiated as Past Commanders : M. B. Al- 
drich, 18.S0, 1S81 and 1887; A. C. Robacher, 1882; 
O. Mitchell, 188.3. 1889; W. E. Stockwell, 1.S84-5- 
(1; A. P. Greene, 1888, 1896-6-7-8; Wm. Dellow, 
1890; Albert Wheat on, 1891 ; O.Courtney, 1892- 
3-4; C. H. Bonton, 18S9-1900. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



^ 



been a member and the secretary of the 
school board. In 1894 and 1895 he was presi- 
dent of tlie village and has served in the 
A. H. Barber Hose company as president 
for three years. He is an active member of 
the JIasonic order. Politically Mr. Adams has 
attiliated with the democratic party, and in 1893 
declined a nomination for county treasurer. In 
1894 he accepted the nomination for member of 
Assembly. In his paper Mr. Adams maintains a 




EIXiAR L. ADAM8, Editor Marathon Independent. 

Edgar L. Adams, the proprietor and editor of 
the Marathon Independent, also a stockholder in 
the First National bank of Marathon and in the 
Climax Road Machine company, being a director 
in the former and one of the incorporators of the 
latter, is an active promoter of local improve- 
ments using the influence of his paper to advance 
projects which clearly promise the welfare and 
prosperity of the town. As a journalist his ViTit- 
iugs liave been extensively copied. During seve- 
ral years he did considerable literary work. En- 
tering the fiehl of humorists in about 1879 he 
gained considerable celebrity for his droll and 
pungent wit and obtained a flattering review of 
his work from the pen of "Brick Pomcroy," the 
keenest of American humorists in his production 
concerning 'The Humorous Writers of America." 
The paragraphs that week after week brightened 
the columns of the Independent gave the paper a 
wide circulation. Local subjects often afl:'orded 
him the best of material for the most widely 
copied paragr;iphs. When "the city fathers'' 
proposed street lamps Mr. Adams facetiously 
wrote that he who causeth two lamp posts to 
appear where there is only one is greater than the 
vice president of a po- 
litical meeting — a rare 
hit in two ways. Mr. 
Adams' connection 
with the New York 
State Editorial associ- 
ation has made him 
widely acquainted 
among the newspaper 
men of the State with 
whomhe has been affil- 
iated for years. In- 
creasing business and 
public interests com- 
pelled him to with- 
draw from the para- 
grapher's arena, but 
his natural vein of 
good humor fretpient- 
ly makes appt'arance 
in his writings and as 
an after dinner talker 
lie is most entertain- 
ing. His personal ac- 
quaintanceship in- 
cludes many noted lit- 
erary geniuses of the 
present time. For ten 
years Mr. Adams has 





MARATHON INUKPENDENT BLUI.DlNef. 
F. S. Uellow. Plioto. 

strict neutrality. Mr. Adams, the son of Lyman 
and Ruth Adams, was born in Marathon April '27, 
1N57, where he received his education. The Ma- 
rathon Independent was established in 1870 and 
in April 1871 he entered the office to learn the 
practical side of the publishing business. After a 
brief clerkship which proved unciingenial he in 
1874 ri'lurricd to tlii^ tudfiicndi'iit and in April 
ix7i; lieciime iittaclicd to the ( 'ortlaiid Democrat, 
where he remained but a short time, returning to 
Marathon to take charge of the Independent for 




ELiUAl; L. ADAMS' RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



55 



Wallace Kolley. When ou November 1, 1MT6, the 
paper was sold Mr. Adams was employed as editor 
by Brooks & Day. which position he held until 
May 1, ls7s, when he purchased the interest of 
Mr. Day and the following year obtained full 
ownership l)y buying out Mr. Brooks. For a 
sliort time Mr. Adams was editor of the Syracuse 
Sunday Times. ( )u May 13, 187il, he was married 
to Miss Klla v., the daughter of Oscar Courtney. 

The Catholic Church. — In the days when cacli 
pioneer missionary had for his field of lalior a 
territory extending over many counties Marathon 
was attended from Norwich and afterwards from 



was converted into a chapel capable of 
seating 300 where until 18'J.S the Catholic 
people of Marathon held their devotions 
under the successive pastorates of the 
Revs. McRenchau, his brother, J. J. McRenchau, 
Wm. Dougherty, P. J. Brady, J. L. Meagher, B. 
A. Smith, J. P. Herrick, and the present incum- 
bent. Rev. Father C. V. McGuire, who came here 
May -'4, 1S!»3. The old church was a long dis- 
tance from the street and not easy of approach on 
account of the grade. The new building com- 
menced iu 1897 is more conveniently situated and 
easy to reach. Mr. Archimedes Russell of Syra- 




Newspaper ('i)mposing Room iF. S Dellow, Photo) 

Cortland. Soon after the civil war a resident 
prie.st. tlie Rev. McRenchau was sent here by the 
Bishop of Albany. Iu Peck's Hall he commenced 
liis labors. In a sliort time he secured the Aca- 
demy property which extends from Academy St. 
toCirove St. flic former so called from tlie name 
of the builfiing and the latter from the beautiful 
grove then flourishing in its rear. It was built 
for c<liicMti(>Mal puri)oses, the new Pariuissus of 
modern Maraflion, wlierein the rising gt^neration 
were faiight "to scan learning's page and Cod 
;id<jrc." In I lie north end the large study luill 



rHK MAHATHciN INDEPENUKNT. | Photos i-opi.'d by I>i-I(oy Wile 

.fob Pi-pss Room ( R. L. Sniitli, M. D., Plioto). 
(R. Ti. Smith, M. D., Photo). 

Newspaper Press (F. S. Dellow, Photo). 



cuse designed it and F. .\. Nichols erected it. It 
is of Gothic design and measures 80 by 40 feet. 
The pews, altar railing, vestment case, etc., 
were made in Grand Rapids, Mich. Tlie win- 
dows which are of opalescent art glass were made 
by C. P. Rowland in Richmond, Va. Its capacity 
is" 400 and it cost $.5,000. The grounds around 
are beautifully graded. The labor, long and 
arduous, was accomplished by .John Lynch, .John 
Regan, Tony Andre, .lohu Burke and others 
whose untiring and gratuitous efforts ai'(> grate- 
fully acknowledged by the congregation. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



WY mmm mm\i haraihoh. 



"Gkip's" Soi'VENih-Gazette— Historical Series IX- 
Mav. VMl. 

No. 107 Oxford Street, Syracuse, N. Y. 



The State Gazette of Social Events and Public Affairs 
in the Empire State. 

Contemporaneous History and Beal Life. The Only Pub- 
lication of this Character in Print. A Valuable 
Publication for Reference. 



WRITERS FOR MARATHON SOUVENIR 



Adams, Edgar L 
Bai-ues, E. H. 
Boutoii, C. H. 
Bowdish, J. W. 
Brink, J. L. 
Carley, Mrs. E. C. 



Adams, CO. 
Blue, Rev. J. H. F. 
Bouton, Mrs. C. H. 
Brink, B. S. 
Courtney, O. 
Coou, W. A. 



Carter, IMiss L. Maud Dellow, Mrs. Mary L. 
Dellow, Fred (rreeue, Mrs. A. P. 

Fish, Rev. J. E. Hulbert, Mrs. Jerome 

Hammond, Rev. C. D. Livingstone, J. W. 
Hyatt, Mrs. Julia E., Cortland, N. Y. 
Johusou, Arvine McDonald, Mrs. A. G. 

Mack, C. A. McGuire, Rev. C. V. 

McFarland. Mrs. F. J. Ripley, Mrs. Helen Laura 
Miller, :\rrs. liuth L., Toledo, O. 
Page, Miss Helen S. Robacher, A. E. 
Ripley, Rev. B P. Smith, Mrs. G. K. 

Robacher, Mrs. A. E. Squires, Biu-gess 
Smith, Mrs. J. L. Squires, G. P. 

Squires, Mrs. Burgess Tripp, Mrs. D. B. 
Swift. E. D., Buffalo N. Y. 
Tripp, D. B. Turner, Dr. H. H. 

Tripp, J. H. Van Yost, Mrs. O. 

Valentine, L. F. Whitmore, Mrs. D. E. 

Vunk, A. H. Ward, L. F. 

Williams, Ashley, Killowog. 

"Grip's" Historical Souvenir of narathon 

fulfills several missions. It carries the news and 
perpetuates the scenes and historical data, which 
instruct and entertain a community. It entices 
the stranger within our gates It records the 
approximate value to the village of the business 
and professional man. It acts as a guide to the 
visitor, directing him into this and that man's 
place of business, piloting him through the streets 
and public S(iuares. pointing out this and that 
scene — this and that historic spot. It introduces 
him to the men and women who are leaders in 
professional, financial, commercial, manufactur- 
ing and social circles. It names the enterprising 
and successful resident of Marathon. It places in 
duralile and permanent form a valuable compila- 
tion of personal and general information and local 
reminiscences which in years to come are prized 
beyond value. It does not cater to the gnawing 
hunger for compliments, and eulogistic common- 
places, and generalities which are too commonly 
used in Souvenirs, and are never used in Histori- 
cal Souvenirs. It does not lay to the soul unc- 
tions flattery. It caters not to vanity. Tlie 
man of "sterling integrity" does not learn in this 
Souvenir that be possesses a jewel of such rare 
price. • 'Our leading, ' ' ' 'genial , ' ' "affable" citizen 
are phrases unknown to its pages. 

The Contributors to this Souvenir have — per- 
haps unconsciously, in some cases — rendered the 
l)eople of Maratlion a great service. Accuracy in 
writing is an important end to be obtained and it 
is only by a member of the society that its history 
can be intelligently and accurately written. We 
are sure that every member of the several societies 



which are historically presented in this Souvenir 
will join us in expressing thanks to the writers of 
these most valuable and interesting sketches. 
The names of the contributors which in the ma- 
jority of cases do not appear in connection with 
the sketches, are printed at the head of the first 
column on this page. Their work will long out- 
last them. 

DR. LEWIS SWIFT. 
One of the most interesting sketches in this 
serial is that of Dr. Lewis A. Swift, the eminent 
astronomer, who at the venerable age of 81 years, 
lias retired from the active pursuits of that 
science, the study of which lias made him famous 
all over the world. The article, as is the case 
with all others published in •■Grip's" works, is in 
every line authentic. With pleasure the publisher 
is able to announce that it is the first complete, 
revised biography of the noted astronomer to be 
printed. It is interesting to observe that the pub- 
lication of the article apropos, because of the publi- 
cation of the historical souvenir of his native 
town, is co-incident to the withdrawal of Prof. 
Swift from public life. May many years bless 
and prosper him is the wish of "Grip." 

Syracuse, March 11, 1901. 

GEORGE L. SWIFT. 
When the project of compiling this publication 
was started, G. L. Swift was among the first to 
take considerable interest in it. His companion- 
ableness, disinterested advice and overflowing 
spirit of good will towards the publisher afforded 
the latter much comfort and encouragement. His 
was an enlarged horizon possibly expanded by the 
experience of his younger years when, as the asso- 
ciate of Ezra Cornell and his cou.sin. Dr. Lewis 
Swift, he went out into the world to preach the 
gospel of commercial telegraphy [See sk. P. 42]. 
Tliis work had but fairly begun when his life 
drew to a peaceful and honored close. His per- 
soualitv was commanding, magnetic and impress- 
ive, and in his death the community suffered a 
severe loss. "Grip." 

Impressions of Maratlion. — [By the Rev. Benj. 
P. Ripley, pastor First Methodist Ejiiscopal 
Church.] My coming to Marathon was under 
circumstances rendering me specially susceptible 
to impressions which might spring out of the 
scenes and people greeting me. I had just been 
assigned by the Wyoming M. E. Conference to 
this field of ministerial labor. How is the town 
situated? What sort of residences and public 
buildings has it? How are its streets kept? What 
about tiie business, intelligence, and manners of 
its people? Tliese were the queries which kept 
running through my mind as the train swept 
alimg, bi-aring me to my destination. I was 
cliarmed with the valley. The silver river, with 
its shoreline fringed with willow and sumach, 
graced at intervals with clusters of stately locusts, 
elms, and maples, and ever now and then arseu- 
aled by abrupt and stately hills, from whose sum- 
mit I could imagine some local spiritual soldiery 
keeping guard over the quiet villages below, was 
a som'ce of constant interest and pleasure to me. 
The beautiful, broad plains, appearing as we 
neared the village, suggested the not impossible 
likeness to that plain of ancient Marathon where 
the forces of Miltiades deployed in their three - 
sided square to engage and overcome the Persian 
invaders. My impresssons were of the people 
first. Warm, direct, straight-forward: in manners 
simple, in speech sincere— I was drawn toward 
tliem immediately and iiTesistibly. Of the town 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



itself, it seemed to me to be midway iu a sort of 
pniod of tiausitiou from an old form of life to a 
new aud hifjher epoch, for the early attaiumeut 
of which there was splendid promise aud potency. 
The town appeared to me to excel iu business 
more than anything else. It was all business — 
with little time for sentiment or pleasure, only as 
these could be turned to account in business. 
And yet the people were not insensible to the 
amenities of life, nor devoid of true refinement of 
feeling. What perhaps was better than as though 
it had been all "propriety," was the evident 
characteristic that the people strove first to lay 
substantial foundations, afterwards giving atten- 
tion to embellishments. I know of no village 
where the determination to make progress is so 
(■\ideut as here. And this progress is no one- 
sided ideal. Bu.siness, education, morality, re- 
ligion, village and residential pride, all receive 
their share of attention. Herr is a good place for 
theiiian who wants tube respet-ted for his opinions, 
provided they are high onus; here is a good place 
to set up a home ; and here is the spot where a 
man who knows how to and will do something is 
given a chance. 



jiaper. The next school l)viil(liiig was located on 
the south bank of Hunt's Creek wliiiOi at that 
time ran about where the Tarliell block and Mara- 
thon House now stand. Tlie building is now 
thought to have been located something near 
where the Tarbell block is. In time this building 
was undermined by the a<3tion of the water and 
careened over into the creek aud was then sold to 
Abram Brink who moved it ou to his farm where 
it was used for a pig-pen. The writer is now un- 
able to give dates of the erection of either of these 
houses. But they must all have been prior to 
1S24 as Abram Brink died that year. The 
next school house [see "Earliest Recollections" ; 
also diagi-am page 19] appeared at the foot of east 
hill, very near where L. F. Ward's brick resi- 
dence now stands. This was a one-story building 
and had a sort of entry way in front. From this you 
entered the main room, iu fa<?t the only room of 
the building, which as I now remember must have 
been a)iout ■.'lixiio ft., and had three rows of seats 
extending nearly around the room, each one being 
elevated eight or ten inches as you weut back. 
The two back rows had desks in front while the 
front row had none and was always occupied by 
the small children who did not have to write in 
those days. This formed a terraced centerfield or 
sort of arena, where there was quite frequently 




1. William A. Coou, Prii 



THE SCHOOL FACULTY. 

■ip;\l; 2, Mrs. Frances Ct. Weeks ; ii. Miss Margaret Killcla 

.5, Miss Margaret Walsh ; t>, Miss Stella J. Sears. 



4, Miss HelcTi E. Pa 



The School. — [By (i. P. Squires.] — Very early 
in the nineteenth century there was a public 
school held in tlie barn of John Hunt, located ou 
the north side of Hunt Creek, somewheres neai' 
the residence of .Tames Li\angston. The late Mar- 
cena Peck once told her niece, Mrs. Caroline 
S(iuires, she remembered attending school in this 
barn. It was taught liy Miss Marriam ('owdry. 
During spring and early summer lliey occupied 
the barn floor, but in haying time they moved 
into the adjoining stable, while Mr. Hunt was 
drawing in hay. There can be very little doubt, 
if any, but this was the first school ever taught in 
the town. The first school building erected was 
locateil about one-half mile south of the present 
village very near where (x. P. Scjuires' residence 
now staiuls. The late Dr. S. M. Hunt, in some of 
his writings of tlie early history of Marathon, 
makes uK^ntion of this school house and says it 
was built of logs and the windows of greased 



some rather exciting times, as those were days 
when the teacher was expected and required to be 
nuister of the room and was often forced to dem- 
onstrate his physical superiority in the arena or 
mak(^ an exit through the window. This was the 
nuinuer of teaching athletics at that time. This 
building served the purpose of thi^ district by 
occasionally renting a room outside for the smaller 
pupils until 1S4.5, when a new building was 
erected on the site of the present school but 
standing just iu front of where the present edifice 
now stands. This was a one-story building con- 
taining two rooms with a hallway running cross- 
wise and separating the rooms. In lS(i!S this 
building was raised to a two-story one, Ijut this 
soon proved too small for the accommodation of 
the district. In the spring of 1873 they voted to 
raise $10,000 to build the present structure, which 
was completed in the fall of ISTS, and opiuied for 
school with Prof. M. Tj. Hawley as principal. 
This building is 4r)x(il ; with wing I('>x:i7 feet, 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP MARATHON 



aud at that time coutaiued foiir rooms, one large 
hall on the second floor which was intended for 
chapel exercises, exhibitions, etc. ; a primary, in- 
termediate and principal's rooms. It was run in 
this way until 1S71S, when it was organized into 
a Union School and Academy with Prof. C. O. 
Dewey as principal. Since that time the buildiuK 
has been rearranged and now contains six de- 
partnumts, first and second primaries, first and 
second intermediate, the preceptress and the prin- 
cipal's rooms. Tlie principals following Prof. 
Hawley, until the organization of the Union 
School' were: W. H. Hall, M. E. Chapin, .1. L. 
Lusk, .John Courtney, Jr., J. T. Corlew and 
Elbert Place. 

The school trustees aud their time of election, 
since beginning of Union school aud academy, to- 
gether with clianges in officers when made, are as 
follows: — 1S7S, D. E. Whitmore (3 year's term). 



retary. ls;)3, A. P. Greene. 189.S, O. Courtney 
elected collector. 1895, Dr. W. Spencer. ISlKi, 
H.E.Wilson. 1897, G. N. Valentine: William 
Esmay elected collector and C. B. Trafford re- 
signed as trustee. 1899, Myron N. Pierce and A. 
C.Baker. The present board is as follows: G. 
P. Scpiu'es, president; E. L. Adams, secretary; A. 
P. (rreene, H. E. Wilson, W. Speucer, Myron N. 
Pierce, A. ('. Baker. 

The Faculty since the beginning of the Uniou 
School aud dates of appointment are as follows : 

1S78 — C. O. Dewey, principal, June 19; Mary 
E. Lee, resigned as principal's assistaut June 12, 
app. intermediate department June 34; Carrie 
Wood from intermediate to primary, July 39 ; 
Nellie Pearne, preceptress, July 39. 

1x79 — Hamilton Terry, principal, July ; Grace 
Lee Sherwood, primary, and Sarah Buell pre- 
ceptress, August II. 




Cut loAiird by Ed. L. Adam; 



THE prui.ii 



president ; J. H. Tripp ( 1 year), secretai'y ; A. G. 
Smith (1 year), Daniel Barry and W. A. Beutley 
(2 years), John L. Smith aud G. P. Squires (3 
years); D. D. Hunt, treasurer; H. R. Shattuck. 
collector. 1IS79, (ieorge W. Miller and J. W. 
Shaver, issi. Clay C. Carley, O. H. Smith and 
L. A. Hazen ; William Mack elected collector. 
1883, Du Ray Hunt (appointed by the board) ; C 
C. Carley elected secretar-s'. IKX'i, W. E. Stock- 
well; H. R. Shattuck elected collector. 1884, R. 
M. Lovell ; L. A. Hazen elected president and 
Du Ray Hunt, secretary. 1S8,1, L. P. Ball and 
W^alter A. Brink ; G. P. Squires elected president 
and Adam Hilsinger collector. l.S.S(i, Fred H. 
Swift ; Lyman Adams elected treasurer and 
George W. Copeland collector. 1887, C. A. Mack 
aud R. D. Mack; W. A. Brink elected secretary. 
1888, F. W. Craiu. 1889, D. B. Tripp elected 
treasurer. 1890, F. A. Pulford, C. B. Tratford 
aud O. G. LTnderwood. 1891, Edgar L. Adams 
and D. B. Wilson ; Edgar L. Adams elected sec- 



18X0 — Roweua Dean, preceptress, Juue 3(i. 

1881 — Hattie Hamlin, primary, June 14. 

18S3 — Nellie Bevere, preceptress, July; Sarah 
Reycroft, intermediate, and Miss M. A. Knapp, 
preceptress, Nov. 1.5. 

I ss;^— Hattie Kinney, intermediate, March 19, 
preceptress July 2(i ; Miss E. D. Gardner, inter- 
mediate, July3(i; Miss Genie Luntman (no date 
of appointment ) resigned Nov. l-i. 

1SS4 — H. F. Ludlow, principal, June 6; Hor- 
tense Hodges, Jan. 31 ; Mrs. J. W. Livingston, 
(Hattie Hamlin) primary, June 6 ; Mrs. Warren 
Hunt, 3nd primary, Nov. 31. 

iss.") — Charles H. Hulbert, principal, July 18; 
Alice Jones (fill vacancy during Miss Adams' 
sickness), May 16; Nellie Adams, preceptress, 
July IS. 

1.S.S7 — W. Y. Foote, principal, June 30; Miss 
H. I. Sessions, primary, June 13. 

18SN — Mary Bouton, intermediate, August 7 ; 
Libbie Cox, primary, Nov. 22. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



1880 — W. C. Fisher, principal, Nov. 1 ; Jessie 
M. Beardsley, preceptress, March 27 ; Libbie 
Johusou, Jan. 2(> : Nettie Clark, sr. int., Nov. U. 

1890 — U. (t. Weatherly, principal, August 14; 
Carrie R. Fisher, preceptress, Feb. S. 

1891 — C. V. Coon, principal, Jan. 12; Sarah S. 
Lyman, sr. int., Jan. io ; Marion A. Hinds, jr. 
int., Jan. '21). 

1N92 — LeonaD. Burgharrtt, Sndprimary, May 13. 

is'.i:^ — Willis A. lugalls, principal, June 8; Miss 
Iv M. Davern, preceptress, June M. 

1S94 — W. A. Coon, principal, March S; Mar- 
garette B. Love, drawing and primary, Aug. 1 ; 
Miss M. KiUela, preceptress, Sept. i;i. 

1S9.") — Jessie Arnold, .jr int., July :) ; Helen M. 
Hubbard, preceptress, July 3. 

189ti — Roy A. Baum. asst. principal, Aug. 4. 

1S97— Bertha R. Day, sr. int., June 11; Kate 
A. Cosad, preceptress, June 11. 

1S9N — L. Claude Carter, sr. int.. Helen L. Page, 
jr. int.. Stella J. Sears, primary, and Miss H. W. 
Pennev, sr. int., .Ian. 13; Marietta Davis, sr. int., 
July 14. 

ls9'.i — Florence G. Best, preceptress May 23. 

lllOO— Margaret Walsh, Sept. 13. 

See present faculty in grouii of portraits on 
page 57. 



Center Lisle, I )rtons s<4ioolhouse, Caldwells Set- 
tlemint, and Cantield Hollow. This circuit was 
served by two pastors, Benjamin FUis and George 
W. Leach and was then in the bounds of the old 
Oni'ida conference. .\s these several ]ioints in- 
creased in membership the circuit was divided 
until now this same territory lias become several 
cliarg<'S, Mild is now the Wyoming confen^nce, the 
Oneida <-onferenci' having been dissolved many 
years ago. On Feb. 17, 1840 a meeting was held 
in the school house of District No. 2. to take into 
consideration the propriety of building a house 
for public worship. At. this meeting Uriah 
Sessions and ( 'ah^b Newton were chosen to pre- 
side, and Hiram Smith was chosen clerk. Caleb 
Newton, Jes.se Johnson, (h-rin Carley, Uriah 
Sessions, Ambrose Taylor, and Nathaniel Bouton 
were elected trustees, and empowered by the 
society to secure a suitable site on which to build 
a house of worship. A meeting was held in the 
school house Feb. lis, 1841, at which it was voted 
t(i piiri'liiisc the present site of the church from 
Clirsti r I ;mik, for wliirli the sum of $75 was paid. 
('a!el> Newton, Jesse .lohnson and Uriah Sessions 
were appointi^d building committee and instructed 
as soon as sutticient money was raised to warrant 
the procedure, to enter into contract for the build- 



Tiiiiii: JMi iii_'"'iT"in 
iTTfir I nri 





A. E. WATKOUS' RESIDENCE 



W. S. BURCiESS' UESIDENCK. 



E, E. l.AIHD'.S HESIDEXCE. 



First Methodist Episcopal Church. This so- 
ciety was founded sometime during the year 
183(1, when four persons — Orrin Carley, Caleb 
Newton, Mary Newton and Mrs. (iriffin 
formed themselves into a class with Orrin Carley 
as leader. Others, through tlie labors of these, 
soon united. The class held meetings in school 
houses and at private residences. Having no 
pastor they had preaching only occasionally as 
they could be i-eached by some preacher from sur- 
rounding charges, or by "local preachers" who 
did iiiueli to open new fields. In 1S47 Marathon 
first became an api«iiiil ment on the Lisle circuit 
which eonsisled at tliat time of ten pn-aching 
places : Marathon, Union Village, North Lapeer, 
Hunt's Corners, Whitney's Point, Lisle Village, 



ing of a church. A plan was drawn up with di- 
mensions as follows: 4ox3t; feet, 22 feet Iiigh at 
the eaves, with suitable sfeei)le. The money was 
raised by the selling of "slips" or pews before the 
work was begun. After the laying of the foun- 
dation, the building of the house was let by 
contract to .lames P.iirgess for the sum of $1,200. 
To this was adiled by voluntary subscriptions .l!50 
to have a swinging jiartition to the gallery. The 
building was linished in Octolx'r, 1.S42, and the 
nu'mbers were assessed ' according to their ability, 
or the interest they had in tlie house, to build 
steps for the church and level oft" the ground, said 
as.sessment to be paid in work or nuiterial." The 
committee ptirchased stoves and pipe and the 
ladies bought material for cushions, a large Bible, 
three chairs, two candle sticks and siiutfer. The 



60 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



..J*^ 



^ 




M. T. WOOSTER. 



MRS. M. T. WOOSTER 



house was dedicated Nov. 13, 1842, by the Rev. 
Mr. Rowe. After thirty- four years use of thi.s 
house it was swung on its foundation so as to 
front squarely witli Main street, and rebuilt, 
making practically a new building with furnish- 
ings. The following committee carried forward 
the work : Johu Freeman, Nathan Lombard, O. 
H. Smith, John Moore, Granville Talmadge, A. 
A. Carley, E. D. Baker, J. B. Vandyke, Wm. 
Tarble audC. C. Adams. The contract was let to A. 
C. Green for .|4,()()0. During the yeai- 1891 the 
church was repaired, papered and furnished with 
new carpets, at a cost of about $800. A fine new 
vocaliou organ was also purchased this year. 
The edifice has had two quite serious casualties 
during its history. In ISl).") the steeple was in- 
jured by lightning. Repaired at a cost of $125. 
Covered by insurance. On the night of Sept. 29, 
1896, a cycloue which passed over the village 
swept the steeple and 
chimneys off the ^ 
church and badly dam- ""^ 
aged the roof. Rf^- 
pairs were at once 
made by a committee 
appointed for tlie pur- 
pose, consisting of G. 
N. Valentine, .1. E. 
Fish, and Rev. F. D. 
Hartsock. Mr. Hart- 
sock solicited subscrip- 
tions for the reiniirs, 
people outside as well 
as in the society re- 
sponding cheerfully 
aud liberally. Repairs 
costing about $700. 
Among the ministers 
who have served this 
church are Benjamin 
Ellis, G. W. Leach, 
A. G. Burlingame, H. 
Pilbearn, H. (Jee. O. 
L. Torrv, W.N. Burr, 
.1. H. Barnes, O. Hes- 
ler, W.R.Cobb, D. D. 
Lindsley, A. C. Bow- 
dish, George Comfort. 
Hubbard Fox, Asa f. S. Dellow, Photo 



Brooks, WilUam Bixby, H. V. Talbot, O. 
Martin. O. H. McAnulty, J. F. Warner, 
J. L. Race, E. N. Sabin, L. B. Weeks, D. 
0. Barnes, E. R. D. Briggs, F. D. Hart- 
sock, Beuj. P. Ripley. This church has 
given to the ministry of the denomina- 
toiu two efficient and honored men : 
The Rev. O. L. Torry and Rev. W. H. 
Bunnell. The latter died a few years 
since. The former is still living in happy, 
beautiful and resj^ected old age. The 
chiu-ch enjoys the advantage of fine loca- 
tion of its edifice, and the building is 
kept in excellent repair and in neatness 
and order interiorally. The service 
which is followed is an adaptation of the 
"Wesley Sunday Service" and is very 
dignified and worshipful. Altogether 
the society is in a very flourishing con- 
dition. 

M. T. Wooster, the druggist, who has 
been in his present location since coming 
to Marathon in 1891, is a registered phar- 
macist iu the states of Kansas and New 
York, who tlirough partnership or associ- 
ations has been constantly with a 
practicing physician and has by his 
Qiwa efforts obtained proficiency and 
success in his profession. Recognizing 
his qualifications and public spirit the town 
elected him town clerk six years ago, a position 
he has since held acting fully in conformity with 
his best judgment in all public questions. The 
drug business he is now conducting, the firm 
of Wooster & Bosworth purchased from T. L. 
Corwin & Sou. The firm subsequently became 
Wooster & Crofoot and later Wooster & Ayers, 
M. T. Wooster afterwards succeeding to the en- 
tire ownership of the business. Mr. Wooster is a 
member of the K. of P., the A. O. U. W., and the 
Baptist church. He was born in Tully, Onondaga 
county, N. Y., February 5, 1N49. His father, 
Murray Wooster, who had lived there many years, 
was a pronounced abolitionist who during the 
anti-slavery excitement was associated iu what 
was known as the "underground railroad" enter- 
prise by which slaves were assisted to freedom. 
Mr. Wooster at 14 vears of age was a clerk in the 




•GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




K. L. SMITJI, M. ]l. 

rlrug store of Dr. N. Trowbridge for two years 
aud later for three years with Coue Williams aud 
three years more with A. R. Timby. lu ISfis he 
was graduated from the Ames Business college iu 
Syracuse aud in 1809 was married to Flora D., 
the daughter of (4eo. W. Crofoot of Tully, N. Y., 
afterwards removiug to Coming, la., where he 
represented one of the partners in the di'ug busi- 
ness of Rightmyer & Eai'll. He subsequently 
went to Wymore, Neb., where he spent three 
years in caiTying on a drug business aud from 
which place lie went to Council (4rove, Kansas, 
wlicre fur ten years he was a member of the firm 
of Trowbridge & Wooster. Upon retiring from 
tliat firm lie came to Marathon. Homer W. and 
Frank M. Wooster, his two brothers, are dead. 
The latter served in the campaigns of the Army 
of the Potomac entering in lK62as second lieu- 
tenant of Co. K V22ud N. Y., raised in Syracuse 
aud serving actively 
up to the first fight 
at Cold Harbor, June 
1, 1S64, when he was 
killed in a charge. He 
was a messmate of 
Theodore Ij. Poole of 
Syracuse and lost his 
life at the siinie time 
Mr. Poole lost his 
arm. By promotion 
he reached the com- 
mission of captiiiu and 
being a lawyer served 
as judge advocate . His 
sisters are Mrs. K. C. 
Trowbridge of Tully 
and Mrs. Dr. N.Trow- 
bridge of Kansas. 

R. L. Smith, n.D., 

who came to Mara 
thon in January, 1X!)3, 
was at once recog- 
nized as deserving 
of liberal patronage 
and his practice in 



c()use<iui'iice thereof has proven to be lucrative 
and fruitful of the most satisfactory results from 
■A professional point of view. The doctor and his 
wift^ caiiK^ from Owego where they wore socially 
inoniiniiit. She was Miss Edna Brant of that 
village. They were married in the September 
following the doctor's location here and came at 
once to Marathon, the ensuing year occupying a 
handsome residence which he had constructed at 
the corner of Broome and Brink streets. Dr. 
Smith is an active member of the Masonic^ order 
and the Maccabees and is enrolled in the local lodge 
of the I. O. O. F. He has studied electricity and 
experimented with it considerably for professional 
purposes and has taken up the study for recrea- 
tion. Although an aggressive republican his pro- 
fessional obligations have given him no occasion 
to devote any time to politics. Yet in I'.tOO he 
accepted tlie nomination aud election to fill the 
liosition of coroner. He was born in Richford, 
Tioga county, N. Y., December 27, 1S71. His 
tatlicr, William L. Smith, was for many years a 
]n-omineiit merchant in that place. After attend- 
ing the schools at Richford and Drydeu the doctor 
began the study of medicine with Dr. G. B. Lewis 
of ( iwego, afterwards entering the University of 
A'ermont to prepare himself for the profession he 
had chosen by a year's study there, then taking a 
three years' course in the College of Medicine, 
University of the City of New York. Subse- 
quently he pursued a hospital practice in that 
city among out-of-door patients and was for some 
time attached to the Dewitt dispensary. In Jan- 
uary, is;i-.'. Ill' purchased the practice of Dr. Levris 
at ( iwego, which he disposed of when he came to 
Marathon. He is a member of the Cortland 
County Medical Society, which he served as vice 
president in 18!tS) and as president in 1900. 

rialachi Church reached Marathon iu IsOS and 
ten or twelve years later built a blacksmith shop 
near tlie present site of the railroad station where 
he and his sons carried on blacksmithing for seve- 
ral years. For many years he was justice. His 
death occurred November, 184(i. 




1)1 llcivv. Photo. OFFICK AND KKSIUENCE OF R. L. SMITH, M. 1» 



'GRIP'S" HIST(3RICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




HENKY FIELD, M. D. 

Henry Field, fl. D., enjoys a profitable prac- 
tic'e which he 1ms built up siuce July, 1896, when 
he came to Marathon. Secui-iug an eligible hoitse 
on Main street where he is comfortably located 
with residence and office connecting, the doctor 
is agreeably sittiated for enlarging his practice. 
Wedded to Emma L., the daiighter of William 
Theobald of Annsville, Oneida county, N. Y., 
November 27, lss9, the union has been blessed 
with two children, Henry, three years old, and 
Mary E., one year old. Both he and his wife are 
communicants of the Methodist church of which 
he is trustee : and tlie doctor Is a member of 
the Marathon Lodge, F. &. A. M., and Marathon 
Lodge, I. < ). O. F. Dr. Field was born in Betch- 
worth, Surrey county, England, April 21, iswi, 
and at 21 year.s of age came to America to accept 
a position with his uncle. William Field in the 
lumber business at Poland. Herkimer county, N. 
Y. In 1S90 he entered 
the Cazenovia Semi- 
nary and one year 
later the Potsdam 
Normal scliool. After 
studying in the office 
of Dr. Miles Long- 
shore at Oold Brook, 
Herkimer county, lie 
entered the Albany 
Medical school in 1893. 
where he was gradu 
ated tliree years later. 
Being afforded aiupL- 
hospital experieiHi- In- 
began his profession 
equipped with the 
necessary experience 
and energy to obtain 
success. He is the 
medical examiner for 
s e V eral insurance 
companies and is a 
member of the Ameri- 
can Medical associa- 
tion and the New 
York' State Medical 
society. 



Reminiscences — [See "The Marathon 
Squatter" on another page]. William Squires 
thinks that the first wagun was brought to Jlara- 
thon in 1806 and that the first frame building was 
put up the same or the following year. The first 
regular postoffice, he says was established in 1814, 
although prior to that time a mail carrier came 
along. [It is probable that Abram Brink acted 
as postmaster during that time in lieu of any ap- 
pointment as he was the first postmaster to receive 
a commission . His home was nearest the traveled 
road, the salt road, and by mail being left there, it 
was accessible to the Carleys and others living over 
the river who had to cross in a boat or by the ford 
— '(Trip"]. The first mail carrier, Mr. Squires 
thinks was named Gazlay. "Salt." continues 
Mr. Squires, "was carried between Syracu.se and 
Biugliamton over the road which on that account 
was called 'the salt road' and on horseback in 
bags. The conditions admitted of no overland 
travelling except on foot or liorseliack. There 
were in 1800 a few wigwams standing on the 
knoll a short distance south of Mr. Brink's house 
which were inhabited by Onondaga Indians who 
came here to hunt and trap during the winter and 
in the spring returned to Salina loaded with furs. 
There were plenty of deer and a few bear. 
Wolves were so numerous that the settlers had to 
corrall their sheep near their houses. Hogs were 
occasionally killed by bear. Now and then a 
panther would be heard of, one being killed about 
that time in the town of Lapeer. The Indians 
killed a great many deer with rifles. They were 
very friendly with the settlers and usually upon 
killing a deer left the fore quarters with some 
white family. The early settlers were obliged to 
go to Salina or Binghamton to trade and procure 
their seed. The first meal produced here was 
made by pounding corn with a pestal in a stump 
dug out for that purpose. The nearest mill that 
did any grinding was at Chenango Forks. The 
chief reliance in the earliest days was black salts 
and maple sugar. The summer of 1S16 was very 
cold, the 6th day of May being s(]ually with snow 
and the corn crop being entirely destroyed by 
freezing on the night of July 4th." 




A. Jolmson, Photo. EESLDENC.'E AND OFFICE OF HENRY FIELD, M. D. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORirAT, SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



(i:i 




B. K. PARSI.iNS. M. U. 
Bert R. Parsons, M. D., was bom iu Tomp- 
kins oouuty, N. Y., August -'. l^T"^. He received 
his early education in the Candor Free academy 
and the Waverly High School, after which he 
followed the vocation of bookkeeper for several 
years. During the years of 1S94 and 181)5 he 
studied iu the ofWce of Dr. Gamble of Waverly, 
and in IsiHi entered the Eclectic Medical Institute 
of Cincinnati, O., from which he was graduated 
with houors in May. is'.iy. Returning to New- 
York he pas.sed a successful examination in the 
I 'niverslty of the State of New York. In August. 
ISDH, he located in Marathon, occupying the .same 
office with Dr. A. Bishop, who afterward removed 
to Binghamtou, Dr. Pars(ms assuming the form- 
er's practice. October 4. 1^99. he married Miss 
Rosa B. Springer of Lockwood. N. Y. Since 
coming to this village 
Dr. Parsons has en- 
.ioyed a successful 
practice which is ra- 
pidly increasing. He 
is a member of the 
Tau Alpha Epsilon 
fraternity of liis Alma 
Mater, and also a 
iiieudierof theKnights 
of the Maccabees. 

Marathon Lodge, 
I. O. O. F., No. 167, 
of .Marathon, N. Y., 
was instituted Janu- 
ary 2. 18.")2, by District 
Deputy (irand Master 
G. .1. .1. Barber, assi.s- 
tcd by his (irand Offi- 
cers. The following 
were charter niem- 
bens: J. H. Taft, C. 
B. Newel, Lewis Bur- 
gess, .lohn S. Preston, 
.Tohu Wheaton, Nel- 
son Roe, French 
Leach, 1'liomas Phet- 
taplace. Tlie follow- 
ing were the first offi- 
cers installed : Noble 




Grand, Nelson Roe : Vice (4rand. .1. H. Taft : .Sec- 
retary, Lewis .\. Burgess; (all of whom arc di- 
ceased). The lodge continued with varying suc- 
cess until August 7, IST4, when their hall, furni- 
ture, charter, books of all kinds and regalias 
were destroyed by fire. Again in September 
1!S84, fire destroyed their hall and everything 
except their books and charter which Past 
Grand William Dellow saved at the expense 
of his health and came near losing his life. 
He was nearly suffocated by smoke and flame. 
Bro. William Esmay is the oldest living mem- 
ber, having joined the order Aug. 8, 18.52. He 
has served several terms as N. (4. and was D. D. 
(t. M. five terms. In 18(;9 the ( Jrand National 
Celebration of the .")Oth anniversary of the Grand 
Lodge Encampment I. O. O. F., of Philadelphia, 
Pa., presented Bro. Esmay with a medal. Aug. s 
1902, Bro. Esmay will have been an Odd Fellow 
M years. The present officers were installed by 
District Deputy Grand Master, P. M. Chatfee :— 
N. G., A. Vunk; V. G.. W. Smith; Rec. Sec.,F 
lugraham; Fin. Sec, A. McDonald; Treas.. E. 
L. Salisburv: Warden, V. B. Mudge; Cond., F. 
Pierce; O. G., A. Miller; I. (t., G, Smith; R. S. 
N. (t., .1. Parker; L. S. N. G., A. Lester; R. S. 
V. G.. H. Alvord; L. S. V. G., C. A. Mack; R. 
S. S., .1. Carrigan; L. S. S., H. Burrell: Chaplain, 
.T. H. Taylor; P. G., B. S. Brink. The meetings 
of the Lodge are held every Wednesday night in 
Ihi' Peck block, where they have (luarters, said by 
visiting Brothers to be the finest in the District, 
consisting of Lodge hall, reception rnoni, kitchen, 
l)araphernalia and ante-rooms. The membership 
.Tulv 1. 1900 was 04. The branch of the order is 
Valley Rebekah Lodge l.s3. 

Dr. S. n. Hunt was born in Marathon October 
:iO, 1 798, and was educated in the Homer academy. 
He studied medicine with Dr. Pelatiah Brooks 
and after receiving his diploma practiced at Kill- 
owog. Maine and Slarathou having also filled the 
offices of justice of the peace, judge of the court 
of common pleas and justice of the sessions. 




BiR'irair 




UKSIDKXCK AND oKKU'K OF H. It. PARSONS. M. U. 

(Mrs. Ella Bftkor's Residence). 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




JAMES BURIiESS. MHS. LILLIE SMITH BURGESS 

James S. Burgess, the proprietor of the lumber 
sawiug and plauiug mills in Marathon, began to 
work for his father in the mill in 1852, when he 
was seventeen years old, so that he has been con- 
tinuously in the business nearly a half century — 
a business which was foumled at the begin- 
ning of the present century and had been 
carried on by his father for twenty years 
prior to the time his son became old enough 
to work at it. The old mill was then a 
much smaller plant the machineiy comprising 
simply an old fashioned upright saw with pitman 
and horizontal shaft which was adequate, how- 
ever, for cutting the lumber re(]uired for the build- 
ing operations which the elder Burgess was then 
engaged in. The latter. Lewis A. Burgess, came to 
Marathon from Litchfield, Ct., an expert car- 
penter, builder and millwright. He and his 
brothers were progressive and did much to fmrtlier 
the interests of the 
village. James Bur- 
gess was born in Ma- 
rathon February 24. 
1884. After consider- 
able experience in 
carrying on the lum- 
ber business and run- 
ning the mill he took 
a partnership interest 
with his father — July 
1. 1861 — and when the 
railroad was put 
through they extend- 
ed their field of trade 
so that they shipped 
large quantities of 
manufactured lumber 
to diiferent markets. 
A few years later Mr. 
Lewis Burgess leased 
one-half interest in 
the mill to Stephen 
Bonton and retired 
from active business 
life, his sou and Jlr. 
Bouton running the 
mill until the latter 
was succeeded bv 
Walter A. Brink. The 



firm of Burgess & Brink improved the power 
by putting in a better wheel, which added 
considerably to the improvements made by 
Burgess & Son who had supplanted the up- 
right with a circular saw and otherwise 
gi-eatly increased the facilities cjf the mills. 
In the meantime the property had been 
improved by the piu-chase by Burgess & Son 
of the Taylor saw mill which stood on the 
east side of the river and later on when 
James Burgess had assumed sole proprietor- 
ship he bought the water right which had 
belonged to the Carley grist mill on the west 
side of the river which had burned down. 
At one time the old mill cut and marketed 
as high as a million and a half feet of lum- 
ber, but now 500,000 feet annually is about 
the maxium, although the business is rela- 
tively greater tliau at that time because the 
entire product is now marketed at home 
whereas considerable of it was then ship- 
ped. It also then consisted of turning out 
raw lumber which is now cut and manu- 
factured for building purposes. The mill 
has an excellent water power which never 
fails, but runs the machinei-y throughout 
the entire year. It also runs the plant for 
the electric light company that is doing 
business in Jlarathon. Mr. Burgess mar- 
ried Mrs. Lillie Smith, Pec. 9, 18'.»7. He is a republi- 
can in politics and a member of the ( )dd Fellows. 
The Burgesses are one of the old families of 
Marathon. Lewis Burgess who was born Decem- 
ber 25, 1809 was one of the three brothers who 
located in Marathon. He married Catharine S., 
the daughter of William Squires, March 1, 18.i2, 
and they had several children. Catharine was 
born August 15, isll. Mr. Burgess died April 
1(5, 1886, and Mrs. Burgess July 31, 1878. The 
family record is as follows: .James S., born Feb- 
ruary 24, liS34; Frances, born April 4, 1886, died 
October 27, 1x36; Henry W., born May 4, 1888, 
died September l(i, 1868; Augustine L., born 
August HI. 1S40, died April 28, isr5; George R., 
of Marathon, born May 26. 11S42; Frances (the 
widow of A. Smith), Marathon, born Dec. 10. 1845; 
Edmund B. .farmer of Marathon, born May 28, 1 848 ; 
Winfield Scott, painter, Marathon, born Feb. 19, 
1850: Mary L.,bornFeb. 29,1852, died Sept.24,i8.55. 




JAMES BUKl+ESS' KESIDEN( E. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 





F. S. D,-1I() 



Early 

buililiiiL' 



, Photo. JAMES BlTiGESS' SA\Y AND PLANING MILL 
Business Developments — The first 
in Marathon coustructed and used ex- 
clusivt'ly fcir a store was erected by Mr. Brink 
on what is now the site of Seamaus Bros, store, 
the tavern kept by Mr. Brink standing just south 
of it. William Suyder rented the building but 
never opened the store. Luther Keyes took it and 
carried on a general merchandise business in a 
small way at the same time serving as .lustiee of 
the Peace. A small trade in a few groceries had 
previously been carried on iu a dwelling at the 
corner where the Marathon house stands, but had 
been given up. David 
H. Manrose succeed- 
ed Keyes and both 
were unsuccessful. 
James Burgess next 
conducted the store 
for a few years and 
was succeeded by 
John M. Roe who 
built a store on tlie 
site of Swift & Com- 
pany's in IsaT where 
he carried on busi- 
ness for several 
years. William 
R i c li a r d .son and 
a f t erw a rds Ira 
Ijynde were in part- 
nership with him, 
the latter purclias- 
ing tlie business en- 
tu'e and condiu^fing 
it until he sold out 
to L. A. Hazen. 
Messrs. Carley & 
Peck i)ut up a build- 
ing on the pre.sent 
site of th(^ Hulbert 
block in which 
Messrs. Carley & 
.\nson Pe(!k carried 
on a ineriantile busi- 
ness until the former 
purchased the lat- 
t(^r's interest and did 
business there alone 



for several years. 
This building faced 
the ea.st. It was sub- 
seiiuently used lus an 
office by J. & (;. A. 
Hulljert and later 
moved across Main 
street and converted 
into a dwelling. It is 
now owned liy Mrs. 
(;. A. Hiilbert wlio 
calls it tlie green 
house being painted 
fliat color. (A view is 
shown on page 13]. 
The original Brink 
store across the way 
was run by (reorge 
Peck and his Imitlier- 
in-law. A. Ilil.bard, 
;ind afterwards under 
tlic firm name of Peck 
-•.-■- i.^.^'^'^' iV- Dickson. Some 
•V'.' .^t' years later tlie build- 
" , > ■'■;-.! iiig was occupied for 
■ 1,* '■ tlie manufacture and 
' f ,-Si- j^i^f ■ sale of hats and while 
thus used was de- 
stroyed by fire. In 
18."):3 E. 0. Carley 
erected the first building for a store on the west 
side of the river. He subsequently sold out that 
bu.siness to A. A. Carley and O. C. Adams and 
built a store adjoining it. A. A. Carley iu 1854 
erected a tavern on the site of the Lynde house 
which was known as the Carley house. While in 
course of construction the frame work was blown 
down. This hotel was occupied for years by 
Moses Rogers. 

Charles A. Burr, deputy collector of the port 
of New York was a Marathon boy. 







THE CLERGY OB^ MARATHON. 
1, Rev.C. V. Mi(iuiri,('atlioIic; a, Rev. .T. H. F. Blue, Presbyterian ; H, Mrs. Annie E 
tonBhic; I, Rev. B. F. Riplev, Methodist: .5, Mrs. Helen L. Ripley ; (i, Rev. Ezra D. 
mond, Baptist ; 7, Mr-s. Je.ssie Perry Hammond. 



66 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




Borrowed Ph.ito. UANIEI. E. \VHITM( iRE. 

Daniel E. Whitmore was born in the town of 
Columbus, Chenango Co., N. Y., January 6, 182"). 
He was educated in the district and academy 
schools and graduated at the age of 21 years from 
the Albany Normal School September, 184(i. He 
commenced teaching at the early age of 15 and 
thereby from time to time earned sufficient funds 
to support himself at school, amounting in all to 
upwards of $600. In 1872 Hamilton College con- 
fered upon liim the degree of master of arts. 
After graduating Mr. Wliitmore was engaged in 
teaching eight years as follows : Three years as 
principal of Marathon village school ; between 
two and three years as principal of the English 
departments of Cortland academy at Homer ; and 
as principal of Orleans and Cauaudaigua village 
schools for nearly three years. Prom ls,58 to 
1857 he was successfully engaged in the mercan- 
tile business at Marathon. In the fall of 1857 Mr. 
Whitmore was elected 

school commissioner •- — 

assuming the duties of 
the office January 1, 
1858, which he held 
for fifteen years hav- 
ing been elected five 
terms of three years 
each. He represented 
Cortland county as 
member of Assembly 
in 1875 his opponent 
being Daniel S. La- 
mont, private secre- 
tary to President 
Grover Cleveland. He 
has held various town 
offices including Jus- 
tice of Peace and Su- 
pervisor three years 
and chairman of the 
Cortland County 
Board of Supervisors. 
Mr. Whitmore was 
president of the Board 
of Education of Mara- 
thon union school and 
academy eight years 
and for three years 
was com missioner a. Johnson, Photo. 



and examiner of Auburn theological seminary. 
For twenty-five years he was engaged in the 
wholesale produce business connected with the 
wliolesale produce house of his brother, the Hon. 
George B. Whitmore, of George B. Whitmore 
& Company of New York which is now D. 
W. Whitmore & Company. He has in the 
past forty years built up quite a valuable fire in- 
surance business. Mr. Whitmore was united in 
marriage July 9th, 1850 to Lydia M. Shattuck, a 
daughter of David Shattuck. To them were born 
the following children : Daniel Webster, Frank 
E. and David L. True to the teachings of his hon- 
ored father he always adhered to the republican 
party, and during his middle and after life was a 
valued counsellor and leader of that party. Mr. 
Whitmore found time to look to religious affairs 
and was a devoted and active member of the 
Presbyterian church where he regularly per- 
formed the duties of clerk of the session for a 
uunilirr of years, and was superintendent of the 
Sunday school nineteen consecutive years. He 
was secretary of the county Sunday School Asso- 
ciatiim which he usually represented at the State 
Association. He was appointed by Mrs. Peck as 
one of the trustees of the Peck Memorial Library 
Association, was one of the organizers and direct- 
ors of the Fir.st National Bank of ^Maratlion. and 
one of the organizers of the Cortland Savings 
Bank. On the 14th day of March, I'.iOO, he con- 
tracted a severe cold whUe attenfling the farmers 
institute and died the 20th of March, 1900, sur- 
vived by his widow and three sons. He was 
com-teous and agreeable, and benevolent com- 
mensurate with his means. His hospitality was 
of that elegant kind which always makes its 
recipients at ease, and gives them an assurance of 
welcome peculiarly agreeable to guests. 

"The First Train of Cars that came into Ma- 
rathon I well recollect," said Lyman Adams. "It 
was an excursion of notables going over the new 
Syracuse & Biughamtou road. On board were the 
railroad officers and the principal stockholders. 
Among the latter in this vicinity were Alansou 
Carley and Dr. E. H. Barnes and G. L. Oakley of 
Merrill's Creek. At the station crowds were 
gathered. Edward Tompkins delivered an ad- 
dress in which he alluded to the peaceful con- 




^^^^^^^^^^m^P 



.^-A^-f. 



MRS. D. E. W Hir.MuKK > Uh^llirv.Ni h. 



•'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



67 




-lu September, 1892, 



LeRoy Wilcox, photo. S. B. JAMISON'S RESIDENCE 

quests at Marathon, N. Y., and the military cou- 
quests at ancient Marathon. The year before, 
Marathon people anticipated the completion of 
the railroad by building up Main street on the 
west side of the river. About that time the 
Lynde hotel at the depot was built. I recollect 
that in 18(i:! we had a small epidemic of smallpox, 
tive cases iu all — all in one house — and tlu-ee 
deaths. But people were frightened and for a 
time tlie street was closed. The local physicians 
in attendance were Drs. E. H. Barnes, S. M. Hunt 
and Maynard. Tlie board of healtli were. J. M. 
Roe, A. H. Barber and E. C. Carley." 

An Adirondack Voyage 

"Grip" headed a party 
over the following 
course — a most inter- 
esting North Woods 
journey. At Saranac 
Imi, at the breakfast 
table, ex-President 
Cleveland, (a defeated 
candidate four years 
prior, then up for re- 
election, and two 
months later to swamp 
the opposition with 
unprecedented major- 
ities) was encount- 
ered. After assuring 
liimselt that the sud- 
den appearance of 
newspaper men was 
not yet to disturb his 
privacy [although 
tht'y returned later] 
the ox-president went 
into a hunting camp. 
The trip — part of 
whidi is unfamiliar 
to tourists except 
those who travel in 
small boats — is as fol- 
low." : Saratoga to 
North creek, Warren 
county, by rail; to 
Blue Mt. lake by tally- STEPHEN M. BOUTON'S KESidence. 



ho; to Ra(inette lake 
by steamer ; tliere se- 
cure guides and trust 
yourselvesfortwodays 
to row boats, in wliich 
you pass up Haquette 
lake tlience tlirougli 
Fork-ed lake; Little 
Fork-edlake; liy carry 
toCorev Fund. Sutton 
Pond, " I Sot tie Fond, 
Rock Pond and Rock 
Stream (the Necklace 
route) ; througli Little 
Tupper lake ; Bog 
stream ; Round Pond ; 
Tupper stream; Tup- 
per lake ; Racket (not 
Kaciuette) river; Up- 
]ier Saranac lake to 
.Saranac Inn, where 
yiiu dispense witli the 
guides and proceed by 
water to Saranac lake 
village ; thence by rail 
to Lake Placid ; from 
there by private con- 
veyance to St. Hu- 
bert's Inn, starting at 
sunrise so as to breakfast on trout at Tlie Cas- 
cades, and yet have a half hour in which to make 
a couple of miles detour and take a look at John 
Brown's grave. From the Cascades you pass 
through the "Garden of Eden" (Keene valley), a 
section whicli for beauty of verdure vies with the 
fauious Lennox (which the writer has also seen) 
presenting an esplanade miles in extent adorned 
with magnificent summer residences of foreign 
notables wlio are delegated to repres(mt their re- 
spective governments at Washington. While at 
St. Hubert's you visit tlie famous Adirondack pre- 
serve with its grand fh-ives and ice caves. At St. 
Hubert's send back your private rigs and take 
conveyance for Elizabethtowu, and Westport on 




G. M. BLISS' RESIDENCE. 



••(tRips" historical soutexir of marathon 




F. S. DeUow, Phut^.. TH£ TuWX BOAKD, 1!<W. 

1. Cecils. Meacham,. Justice: 2. EdsonR. Miner, Highway Comml-i 
sioner; 3. Georse Deland, Jnsriee: 4, J. Harris Hammond. Supervisor 
5. Dnane Burgess, .Tusrice: 6, John H. Miller. Jusrice : 
ter. Town Clerk. 



_. MiloT.^Voos- 

Vnnihers begin at top, from left to right i . 



Lake Champlain where you board the D. & H. 
trains for Albany. At Lake Placid yon clunb 
4,000 feet by an easy road to the summit of 
"VVhiteface mountain where you can see Plans- 
bnrg 3-5 miles northeast in a bee-line and count 
"at your feet." sixty bodies of wat*r. 

Fred S. Dellow, whose viewing in this Sou- 
venir adorns many pages, was bom in Willett, 
N. Y.. Oct. S, ls59, the second child of William 
R. and Elvira Danforth who at present are resi- 
dents of Marathon. His brother Frank is in 
business with his father and his sister 
Mrs. Hattie Hamblin resides in Bing- 
hamton. Fred Dellow completed hi? 
education in the Cortland Xormal 
school, and afterwards learned the 
trade of turning in his father's ftimi- 
tnre factory. As a workman with 
the lathe and chisel Mr. Dellow is su- 
perior to the average, having turned 
out much excellent work in Cortland. 
Homer and CoblestOl. He piossesses 
natural qtialifications for first-class 
outside work with the camera. On 
September 2". l>tio he was wedded to 
Miss Mary L. the only daughter of 
James and Fanny Peebles Living- 
ston, an alumnus of the Marathon 
High school and the "Worthy Matron 
of Marathon Chapter Order of the 
Eastern Star. Mr. Dellow is a mem- 
ber of Thermopylae Lodge NTo. -tSS. 
F. & A. M. of Marathon, of which he 
is Senior Warden having occupied 
every office in the lodge except that 
of Master. 



"The Flood of i865 filled Main street 
to a depth of l-l feet between the livery 
stable on the north side of Main street, 
near the east end of the bridge, and the 
Methodist church," said James S. Bur- 
gess. '-The water was awash of the 
bridge and covered the flats east of the 
river above and below Main street. 
The stable was swept away and carried 
down on to Brinks flats. James Bur- 
gess' shop floated down under the bridge. 
A warm spell came on and rapidly 
melted the snow and the water was two 
days in raising. About March loth or 
ITth as near as I can recollect it reached 
the highest point. Duane Btirgess and 
myself rowed my boat from my mill 
across the flats to John M. Roe"s hotise 
about an eighth of a mile. Richard 
Webb and Trepenning in attempting to 
save a cow and some hides in a bam in 
the rear of the livery were swept again s t 
the bridge, the boat capsizing. Trepen- 
ning caught the bridge but Webb got 
aboard of a tree and was carried down 
the river a quarter of a mile before being 
rescued." 

Killawog at one time took precedence 
over Marathon and adjacent villages as 
a trading place for farmers in this section. Cook, 
Wattles & Thompson conducted the principal 
store for uules arotmd. Col. Cook conducted a 
large tannery and not only manufactured leather 
but boots and shoes. Making and repairing edge 
tools of all descriptions was an important indtis- 
try there. This was about the time the Chenango 
canal was opened. The schools were considered 
of a higher grade than any others and studies not 
taught in the neighboring sch<x)ls were liberally 
supported there. A public library was also pat- 
ronized by people from miles around. 




MRS. M.\KY L. DKI.I.OW. > KED S. DELLljW. souvenir Viewer. 



"GRIPS" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




ARVINE JOHNS! )X. Souvenir Viewer. 
Arvine Johnson one of the artists who made 
the views iu this souvenir is the cashier and book- 
keeper in Seamans Bros., a place he has occupied 
since March 13, 1899. He was born iu IMarathnn 
Dec. 3, 1878, was graduated from the Lowell 
Business college Binghamton, May 5, 1898, and 
on Sept. 22, 1898, started a camera and supply 
business, first ^\-ith a counter in H. H. Clark's 
then iu Wooster's. Ou 
January 10, 1899, he 
sold out to H. Guy 
Palmer but on Sep- 
tember 12. 1900, re- 
purchased the busi- 
ness. He was mar- 
ried to Jennie Granger 
of Syracuse February 
(!, 1900. On January 
3, 1900, he purchased 
the house and lot ou 
West Main street 
which he and his wife 
occupied on April 17, 
following, and wlicre 
they now have a very 
pleasant home. 

Cephas Comstock, 

who was born October 
17, 1785, at New Ca- 
naan, C(mu., and who 
was maiTied to Nancy 
Waring, October 12. 
1807, moved to Mara- 
thon (theu Hanisoui 
in 1SI.5, purclia.sed the 
farm where Arvine 
Johnson now resides, 
and lived there until 
1S41I, then purchasing 
the farm ad.ioining on 
tlie south wlure he 
resided until !>Sn('i, 
after wliicli he moved 
to Dean's Pond about 
two miles east of 
Maratlion village, a. .lulmson, Photn 



where he resided up to the time of his death, Feb- 
ruary 11, 1N6S. In 1834 he built the highway 
from Messengerville on the east side of the Ti- 
oughiiioga river to Cortland known iis the Nar- 
rows ; was supervisor from 1821; to 182.S, from 1830 
to 1834, and iu 1837, 18(!1 and 18C>2. He was a mem- 
ber of assembly from Cortlanil county in 1^27 and 
1N3{;. In the earlier years of the Cortland county 
association he was the president. It is churned 
that he selected the name for the town when it 
was changed from Hanisoii to ^laratlion. He 
was a thoroughly I'ead man iu amieiit as well as 
modern history, and his children possessed the 
same taste. Oue of his sons could read page after 
page of history and repeat it. Mr. Comstock's 
family consisted of himself, wife, five girls and 
two boys all of whom are dead with the exception 
of Mrs. Sarah Root Carley, widow of the late E. 
Carley, who is still eu,ioying good health. 

The Soldiers Monument.— The first suggestion 
for a soldiers mouument in Marathon was made 
at the close of the War of the Rebellion by Rev. 
Hnutingtou Lyman but no action which accom- 
plished auy results ensued until in 1892 '3 when 
tlie ladies of the Woman's Relief Corps under- 
took to raise sufficient fuuds for the ])urpose. 
Early in the year 1N'.)3 tlii> president of the Relief 
Corps informed the Post that then' was sufficient 
fuuds pledged whereby the monumeut could be 
purclias.-d and jiut in place by May 30. A com- 
mittei' was appdinted consisting of the comrades, 
O. Courtuev, A. P. t4reeu(^ and Wm. Dellow of 
the Post, Mrs. C. H. Bouton, Mrs. Geo. W. Web- 
ster and Mrs. A. E. Watrous of the Relief Corps 
and D. B. Tripp, W. A. Brink and Ed. L. Adams 
of tlie citizens. After examining the various de- 
signs submitted, that of A. ( ". Robaclier was 
approved and the monument ordered of him. It 




ARVINK .loHNSoN-S RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 





HENRY E. WILSON. 
was dedicated Jlay :iO, 18'J3. Its dedicatiou was 
attended by Grover Post, No. 98, the Womau's 
Relief Corps, No. 90, Kellogg Camp, No. 4.s, S. of 
v., the 45th Sep. Co., N. G. S. N. Y. aud the 
Cortland City Baud, who joined with the local 
fire department. Grand Army Post Relief Corps 
and the citizens iu one of the lunst impressive 
parades and ceremonies that Marathon has ever 
seen. Music was furnished by a ([uartette, Dr. C. 
B. Trafford, Messrs. A. E. Watrous, Clayton 
Greene and C. H. Bouton. Miss Florence Brain- 
ard Wiis the organist. Prayer was offered by 
Rev. E. R. D. Briggs. The mouument was then 
unveiled by D. B. Tripp, chairman of the 
monument committee, assisted by officers of the 
Post aud Corps. The dedicatory address was de- 
livered by the late Col. E. S. Jeuney of the 185th 
regiment. The cost of the monument which is 
located in the public 
park in front of the 
Baptist church was 
11000. Oscar Court- 
ney chairman of the 
Post committee de- 
livered a brief wel- 
come to visiting dele- 
gati o u s who were 
served with dinner in 
the Methodist church. 

Henry E. Wilson, 

the corporation coun- 
sel aud a member of 
the Board of Educa- 
tion began the practice 
of law iu Marathon in 
the spring of 1885. As 
a leading democrat he 
received the appoint- 
ment of postmaster 
by President Cleve- 
land in 1893, serving 
his term of four years. 
He is regarded as a 
lawyer of sound judg- 
ment aud excellent at- 
tainments aud as a 
strong aud forcible 



platform speaker who has been called upon to fill 
appointments in the local lecture course. Mr. 
Wilson was born in Cheuango Forks, the town of 
Greene, Cheuango Co., N. Y., Jan. 14, 18(52. He 
studied law with E. J. Ai-nold at Greeue in ls81 
and 1NN4 inclusive, and was admitted to the bar 
of the State of New York at the General Term iu 
Biughamton, May 8, 1884. He has also been ad- 
mitted to practice in the United States courts. 
His activity iu politics has made him on several 
occasions a delegate to the county and state con- 
ventions. He is a member of the local Masonic 
lodge of which he is at present Past Master and 
in 1895 received the honor of the appointment of 
Grand Steward by the (rrand Master of the Grand 
Lodge of the State of New York. (Ju Oct. 3, 
1889, he was married to Miss Hattie I. Sessions 
aud thev have one child, Marjorie .Janet, born 
April it'; 1891. 

David Ross Locke ('Petroleum V. Nasby") 
spent some of his earliest childhood days in Mara- 
thon. From 7 to 12 years of age he attended 
school iu the old yellow school house, where his 
natural humor made itself knowu iu many child- 
ish ways. It is related that Henry S. Randall, the 
first county superintendent of schools remarked 
at an examination, "That boy is going to make 
his mark in the world. I shall hear from him." 

Mrs. Ruth L. MiUer of Toledo, O., sent the 
picture used on page 20. He was born in Vestal, 
Broome county, N. Y., in 1833. His parents 
moved to Killawog and from there to Marathon 
in 1840. Having access to few books he read 
RoUin's Ancient History, Josephus and the 
United States History. Having an excellent mem- 
ory he became an historian. At 12 years of age 
he went into a printing office in Cortland to learn 
the trade, taking the place vacated by Ogden 
Squires. Afterwards he worked at Corning iu 
company with "Brick Pomeroy," aud it is said 
that between them were hatched capers which 
were talked of for years afterwards. He drifted 
to (Jhio where at the beginning of the war he 
began the Nasby letters. Then he purchased the 
Toledo Blade of which he was the editor at the 
time of his death in 1880. He traveled extensively 
in Europe. 




HENRY E. WU^SONS KESUJENUE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON. 



E. J. Bowdish fluring the sumnipr of ls8'.) built 
a moflerii sale stable nu a lot haviup a froiitat^e on 
Brink street anil an entrance through to 
Main for the purpose of enlarging his operations 
in buying and selling horses. For some years lie 
has been engaged in this trade, picking up car 
loads of the best and shijiping them to New York 
to be sold for carriage teams. During a part of 
tlie year he handles farm and draught horses 
such as are wanted near home, but his largest 
dealings are in stylish horses. Mr. Bowdish was 
born in Freetown, Aug. 7, IWil. His first venture 
was as a merchant in that place, buying the store 
of Dearman and after conducting it three years 
selling out to Woods & Deubowich and conung 
to Maratlion. Here he opened and conducted a 
livery stable for nine or ten years wlien he bought 
Peck's in Main street, but in tlie spring of 18il!t 
sold out for the purpo.se of opiiiinir tlie .sale stable. 
On Dec. 9, ISs."), he married Lena, the daughter of 
Henry Saunders of Georgetown, Madison county. 
He is a member of the Odd Fellows and a repub- 
lican, having represented the town of JIarathon 
on the county committee for four years. 



both in St. Petersburg and Moscow. King 
(Jeorgeand Queen Olga of Greece are of course 
the head of the Orthodox Greek church . Nicholas 
ruler of Montenegro, King Carl of Roumania, 
Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria and King Alexander 
of Servia are worshippers in the Greek church. 
Tile Sultan of Turkey who worships in state in 
the Mosciue at Constantinople on Friday, accom- 
panied by 1000 soldiers, the Khedive of Egypt, 
the Shah of Persia and the Sultan of Morrocco 
are Mohammedans. Menelik II, King of 
Abyssinia worships in the native Abyssinian 
church. The King of Siani is a Buddhist. The 
Kniperor of .lapan is a devout worshiper of 
Shintoism. The Emperor of China is the chief 
High Priest of Confucianism. President McKin- 
ley is a regular worshiper at the Metrnpulitan 
M. E. Church in Washington and is a member of 
the M. E. Church at Canton. 

Pan=American Stamps for the Exposition at 
Buffalo (1901) in two colors are furnished by the 
government, viz: 1-cent, 71,000,000; 3-cent, IC.O,- 
000,000; 4-cent, 5,000,000; Scent, s,000,000; 8- 





A. Johns 



, Plicto 



E. .1. BoWDISH'S SALB STABLE. 



B. J. Bowdish. 



Religion of Rulers of the World: — Queeon Vic- 
toria and King Edward VII are membars of the 
church of England. Wilhelni, Emperor of Ger- 
many is a Lutheran and himself administers 
spiritual comfort to his soldiers. Queen Wilhel- 
miua of Holland is a regular worshipper in the 
Dutch Reformed church. King Christain, a 
liberalist, is an attendant of the I>utheran church. 
King < )scar II of Sweden, a student of the I'.ible, 
is a Protestant. (!ol. Edward JIuller, President of 
Switzerland, attends the Protestant church of 
Berne in company with his family as any private 
citizen. Presiclent Kruger of South Africa is a 
devout member of the Dutch Protestant. Em- 
peror Francis Joseph of .\ustria is a devout 
Catholic, attending rigidly to the worship of his 
churi-h. ['resident Loubet of France thoroughly 
di'inocratic in his customs, is a dev<mt Catliolic, 
attending church regularly with his family. King 
Victor lOtnanuel of Italy, Charles O of Portugal, 
.\lfoiiso. King of Spain and Leapold, King of 
Belgium are Catholics. The Czar of Russia of tli(^ 
Orthodox Russian church has a private chapel 



cent, 3,000,000; 10-cent, 4,000,000; total 251,000,- 
000. The designs are as follows : l-<ent, a steam- 
er, representing fast lake navigation: 2-cent, an 
express train at full speed, depicting land rapid 
transit; 4-cent, an automobile in front of the 
capitol in Wa.shingt(m; 5-cent, Niagara Falls in 
all its glory; s-cent, the great canal locks at 
Sault Ste. Marie; 10-cent, an ocean liner. 

The Lightinji; System comprises an electric 
plant put in by the village early in the present 
year, the village at a special election held in 
October 1900 voting |s,.")00 for that purpose. The 
capacity is 1200 lights including H5 arc lights of 
the latest pattern, alternating current. Credit 
for the plan is due to tlii' board of trustees, Messrs. 
Boyden. Brink and Underwood, who devoted 
iiHicli of their per.sonal time in getting the plant 
installed. 

The Hirst Schoolmaster in Marathon was 
William Cowdrey who taught in 180:(. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




L. F. WARD. 

L. F. Ward was born at New Milford, Sus- 
quehauna county. Pa., September 19, l.s26, and 
resided iu his native place until between 17 and is 
years of age when he located iu Cortlaud working 
for Samuel Woodruff custom tailor. One year 
later learning that Marathon was a good place for 
one of his profession to locate he started in busi- 
ness there, being then 20 years of age. Conse- 
quently he has been a resident of the village over 
half a "century being engaged in the clothing and 
merchant tailoring business most of the time. 
Having caught the western fever Mr. Ward felt 
obliged to take three trips west of the Mississippi 
to rid himself of the complaint. This was years 
ago when the west was thinly settled. Some 
time afterward he was seized with a similar 
malady which sent him to New York ( the writer 
is now using tlie uni(iui- phraseology employed by 
him in reiiting his i-xpirii-iices) where he con- 
tracted with a clothing and cloth and trimmings 
jobbing house. It was foiu' years before Mr. 
Ward convalesced and became convinced that 
Marathon was a very 
good place to live and 
die in. Accordingly 
he proceeded to build 
a residence and re- 
sume the clothing 
and merchant tailor- 
ing goods business in 
Marathon. On the 
completion of the Tar- 
bell building Mr. 
Ward moved his busi- 
ness in till' north jiart 
of that building and 
rented liis own store 
to Mrs. Martha Cope- 
land for the millinery 
business. After re- 
maining two years in 
the Tarbell building 
he rented a store iu the 
Hulbert block where 
he remained until he 
sold out to Jay Web- 
ster, and retired from 
the business. Mr. 
Ward belongs to the 
Marathon Lodge F. & 
A.M. where he filled 
tlie post of W. M. for 



two years. He is a Jeffersonian democrat, believing 
those principles to be the best for a republican 
form of government When Mr. Ward came to 
Marathon it contained 350 inhabitants. The first 
two years he boarded at the Marathon House, 
owned and kept by James Burgess, paying for a 
time SI. 2.) per week and aftenvards JJl.SOper week. 

Epidemics. — Marathon never suffers from 
epidemics though like all rules which hold good 
there is an exception. In the spring of 1863 a 
lady who died from small pox on a farm in Lapeer 
was nursed by a man from this village. It was 
confined to few and the mortality was light, 
lasting l)ut a short time. 

The Town of Marathon was formed from the 
town of Cincinuatus April 21, 1818, and was 
named Harrison which in 1838 was changed to 
Marathon. The central point of the old town of 
Oincinnatus which comprised what is now the 
towns of Marathon. Freetown, Willet and Cin- 
cinuatus was at Texas Valley. The Tioughnioga 
river flows through the western part of the town 
and Merrill creek in the eastern part. Tlie to- 
pography is rugged though the soil is generally 
productive of all gi-ains and products. 

They Dared. — "We dare you to play a game of 
croquet for the championship at 2 o'clock Wed- 
nesday afternoon." The above challenge, dated 
Aug 15, 187 1 was issued by four of Marathon's 
well known citizens to their respective wives 
who " dared " and defeated them. The par- 
ticipants were Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Adams, Mr. 
and Mrs. L. A. Hazen, Mr. and Mrs. B. T. 
Wright and Mr. and Mi-s. H. F. Bryant. 

The First Death in the town was that of Joseph 
Hunt iu March ls08. 

The First Wedding in Marathon was that of 
Nicholas Brink and Polly Alford. 

The First Saw Hill in Marathon was run by 
John Hunt. 




A. .lohnson. Photo. L. F. WARD'S RESIDENCE, Main street. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




F. S. Dcllo 



, Phuti; 



L. F. WARD'S EAST STREET HdUSE. 



L. P. WARD'S OFFICE. 



The First Store in Marathon — Abraham Brink 
built the first structure uscfl for a store where the 
Peck block uow stands. First it was rented to 
William Snyder who was the first merchant in 
Marathon, then to Luther Keyes, a peace justice, 
followed by David Maurose, then James Burgess, 
afterwards George Peck, and his brother-in-law, 
A. Hibbard and finally Peck & Dickinson. The 
building was used for the manufacture and sale 
of hats and was l>urned down. 

First County Officers — Assemblyman, Eph- 
raini Fish, elected ISIO; County Judge, John 
Keep, appointed April IslO: Augustus A. Don- 
nelly (no earlier record to be found), isli) ; Coun- 
ty Treasurer (only record found), J. Depew 
Freer, 18;^2; School Commissioner, Noah C. 
Dad}-, appointed lSo6, first district^ — second dis- 
trict, Dauu C. Squires; Surrogate. John Mc- 
Wharton, appointed April, 1808; SheriflF, Ashel 
Minor, appointed 1808. 

Town Officers, elected Feb. 19. 1901 : Super- 
visor, James K. Robinson (dcnu; Town Clerk, 
W. P. Tyler, (rep) ; 
Justices, George N. 
Valentine, (rep) and 
Winslow J. Maynard, 
(dem). Two .iustices 
hold over. Commis- 
sioner of Highways, 
John B.Reagan, (dem) 
(Collector, Alonzo H. 
Vunk. (repi ; Asses- 
sors, Clark Haiuinniid, 
V. K. Wliitmiire an. I 
Ed. Davis, (all rcpsi ; 
Oversi'cr (if the I'nor, 
Eugeiii' VVatrousd'i'pi 
Constables, .\(lani llil 
singer, Wm. David- 
son, Alonzo Vunk, H. 
J. Rounds and Frank 
Pierce (all reps) ;John 
H. Miller and Dnanc' 
Burgess justices, held 
over. 

The Last i'atriot 

killiid in the final 
pitched battle of the 
civil war, Appomatto.x 
was Lieutenant Hi- 



ram Clark of ^Marathon, who was in tlie IS.jth 
Reg. N. Y. Vols, under the command of (4ustavus 
Sniper. He was struck by a shell a-s the rebel 
flag of truce came into the Union lines. The G. 
A. R. post of Marathon is named after him. 

The Taverns — Abraham Brink opened his house 
for the accoumiodatiou of travellers early in 1800, 
the first in Marathon, which he maintained until 
his death in 18'24. David Peck in 1S3:5 purchased 
a small house and built an addition, which was 
the first public inn standing on the site of the 
present Marathon House. Alansou Carley erected 
the hotel which bears his name in 1S,54. Moses 
Rogers was the landlord for seventeen years. 

Early School Teachers in the County — Joshua 
BuUard, taught north of Homer, 1T9S; P^beuezer 
Luce, Lapeer, 1814; Betsey Carver, Harford, 
1806; Mrs. H. Beebe, Ciuciunatus, ITllT; Wil- 
liam Cowdrey, Marathon, 1803; Ruth Throop, 
Preble, l.SOl ; Roxana Beebee and Lvdiauna Stew- 
art, Salon, 1804; Mr. Beers, Taylor", IMO; A. W. 
Baker, Truxtou, 1799; Don A. Roliertson, Free- 
town. 




•|'HK I'CIS'I'OFFICE ^tiulUllut,'Ow^.•li bv L. I. Ward*. 



"GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




MRS. MATTIE L. FISH. 

VINNIE (Mrs. Charles Morgan). 

Rev. James E. Fish, a student iu medicme 
during tlie early years of his life experimented 
until he discovered the foi'mula which for the 
past thirty years he has had on the market under 
the trade title of Wormwood Ointment. This 
enterprise has become one of Marathon's reliable 
industries as the result of pushing the sale of 
the remedy all over the country, and because it 
has proven what it has been represented to be, an 
effective remedy. From is8s to IS'.ti!, Mr. Fish 
devoted his time to evangelistic work and by hard 
study fitted himself for the ministry, so that in 
1S97 he was ordained iu the Congi-egational 
Church at Lester, Broome county where he ac- 
cepted the pastorate which he is now filling. Mr. 
Fish was born in the town of Solon August 38, 
1842, where his father, a farmer, had lived since 
1820. Prof. E. E. Fish, his brother, is an ortho- 
nologist of considerable reputation, who pos- 
sesses wide literary attainments and ranks high 
as a teacher. Rev. Mr. Fish attended school at 
Solon and McGrawville until ls(iO spending 
two and one-half vears in tlie study of medicine. 
On April !t, 1 Mil, "he 
was mustered into 
Company A, lOthNew 
York Cavalry and 
served in the Army of 
the Potomac, partici- 
pating in the battles at 
Fredericksburg, Bran- 
dy Station, Middle- 
burg, Gettysburg and 
other important en- 
gagements. He was 
discharged for disa- 
bility in October ls64. 
By his first man-iage 
in 18(i4 there were four 
children all of whom 
are now living. Edwin 
who resides iu Butfali i, 
Fred U. , a well kii. iwn 
artist living at Caiia 
stota, Yinnie, the wife 
of Charles Mc irgan 
who is the son of Gen- 
eral Morgan and 
Bessie M., who resides 
witli her parents. On 
March 27, 1888, Mr. 



Fish was married to Mattie L., the 
daughter of WilUam and Charlotte 
Pierce of Otselic Centre, Chenango 

county. 

nountains, highest in the world. — 
Mt. Everest, (highest in the Hima 
layas), Thibet, 29,002 feet; Kumcha 
inyunga, Himalayas, 28,178; Sorato, 
(highest in America), Bolivia, 21,284 
Illimauia, Bolivia, 21,145; Chimba 
rozo, Ecuador. 21,423 ; Hindoo-Koosh 
Afghanistan, 20,<iOO; Demavend 
(highest in Elbnrz mountains). Per- 
sia, 20,000 ; Mt. Roa, (highest in OcB' 
aula). Hawaii, 1(5,000; Mt. Brown 
(highest in the Rockies), Brit. Amer 
ica, 15,900; Mont Blanc, (highest in 
the Eui'opean Alps), Savoy, 15,732 
Mowna Roas, Ouhyhee, 15,700; Mt 
Ro.sa, Savoy, 15,1.50; limit of perpe 
tual snow at the Equator, 15,207 
Piehinca, Ecuador, 15,924; Mt. Whit 
nev, California, 14,887; Mt. Fair 
weather, .\laska, 14,500; Mt. Shasta 
California, 14,442; Mt. Rauier, Washington, 14, 
444; Long's Peak. (Rockies), Colorado, 14,271 
Mt. Ararat, Armenia. 14,320; Pike's Peak, Colora 
do, 14,21(!; Mt. Ophir, Sumatra, i;S,800; Free 
mont's Peak, Wyoming, 13,570 ; Mt. St. Helens 
Washington, 13,400; Peak of Teneriflfe, Canaries 
12,182; Simplon Alps, 11,542; Miltzin, (highest 
of Atlas), Morocco, 11,5(X); Mt. Hood, Oregon, 11, 
225; Mt. Lelianou, Syria, 10,533; Mt, Perda, 
(highest of Pyrenees), France, 10,950; Monte Corno 
(highest of Appenines) Naples, 9.523; Snerhattan 
Norway, 8,115; Pindus, Greece, 7,677; Mt. Sinai 
Arabia, (),541 ; Black Mountain, North Carolina 
6,71)0; Mt. Washington, (highest in White Moun 
tains). New Hampshire, 6,285; Mt, Mai'cy, (high 
est in Adirondacks),New York, 5,402; Whitefaee 
( Adirondacks I , New York, 4,871; Ben Nevis 
(highest in Great Britain), Scotland, 4,406 
Mansfield, (highest in Green mountains), Yer 
mont), 4,280; Peaks of Ottor, Yirginia, 4,2G0 




SSflflfEl 




luL_ 




RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



Mt. Vesuvius, Naples, 4,253 ; Parnassus, Greece, 
3,950; Round Top, (highest in the Catskills). 
New York, 3,.S04 ; Suowden, England. 3,500; Ben 
Lomond, Seotland, 3,3S0 ; Gibraltar, 1,470. 

F. J. McFarland opened his large general bus- 
iness in Marathon in company with liis brother, 
(ieorge W. McFarland, in the same ([uarters he 
still occupies, April 1, lsi)0. The latter retired 
October In. 1891, but with his characteristic energy 
and good judgment in selecting and buying 
goods, F. J. McFarland has steadily increased 
the scope of his business and the size of his 



Winfield academy. In lS.S.5-'7 h(> was a clerk iu 
W. M. Owen & Co.'s wholesale and provision 
store in Utica and subsequently, to the time he 
came to Marathon, was with Whiting & Sons of 
that city. The Mcl-'jirlands an^ among the early 
settlers of (Otsego Co. Levi P., the fatlicr of F. 
J. was born in the log house which his fatlier 
reared in the solitudes of a sparsely settled and 
uncleared country. He is still living on the same 
farm at the age of 83 years. He reared six chil- 
dren. Edwin P., who runs a general store and 
Mrs. Libbie Nichols, of West Winfield, Herkimer 
Co., N. Y. ; George W., the superintendent of the 




A. .Johnson, View.s. 

Fred J. McFarland. 



F. .1. McFARLAND'S GENERAL STORK. 
Mrs. Hattie McFarland Don McFarland 



Fred E. Lainhart. 



stock uutil he is able to serve liis patronage 
with a charming variety of staple and fancy 
articles in tlie lines he carries ; such, for 
example, as gi'oceries. dry goods, ladies" and 
gentlemen's furnishing goods, paints, oils, wall 
paper and fruits and vegetables in season. Mr. 
McFarland and Mrs. Hattie Swart of Harford, 
f'ortland Co., were married Mardi 14, 1N9(). 
They liave one son. Don A. McFarland. Mr. and 
Mrs. McFarland are active supporters of the 
Methodist clnirch. He was born in Plainfield, 
Otsego (!o., X. Y.. .\ugust 10, Is.'iS, and acquired 
his education at the district schools and the West 



Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. of Auburn, N. 
Y. ; Herbert .1.. occupying the sami! position at 
Nvack, N. V. ; Charles who is still on the farm 
and F. .1. 

The Population of narathon.—lS20. KOT; 1X25, 
S73; IN;i(). N95; Is.!."). 9s(;; IslO, 10G3 ; 184.), 1080; 
18.50, 1149: INo.5, i:!41; 18t!0, l.';02; ISi;,-), 14S5; 
1S70, Kill : 1875. 1630; 1S90, 1092. 

Wool-carding was once a staple industry. .\ 
shop built early in the century by Allen Rice stood 
near Hillsinger mill. Another waslocatedat Killo- 
wog. 



76 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




(\ A. BRdOKS, Postmaster. 
Charles A. Brooks, a resident of Maiathou 
siuce 11ST4, came to this village wheu 17 years of 
age aucl euteriug actively iu local affairs became 
cue of the republican leaders of the tovvu. his 
party services being three times rewarded by the 
appointment of postmaster, the first time by the 
authority of a commission from President Arthur 
in Ifssj, when he served three years, the second 
time by the appointment of President Harrison 
Dec. -il, 18S9, for the full term, and May 17, 1897, 
by the appointment of President McKinley for 
the term he is now serving. The location of the 
postoffice at the present time was settled in liiOO 
and was then newly outfitted as more iu keepiujj 
with the reiiuirenieuts of a village the size of Mara- 
thon. The service and appointments, the former 
so far as arrival and departure of mails will per 
mit, are entirely up-to-date and reflect credit on 
the postmaster and his 
deputy, W. J. Lynde. 
Mr. iSrooks is presi- 
dent of the board of 
trustees of the Metho- 
dist church, secretary 
of Marathon Lodge, 
F. & A. M., and pa- 
tron of the Eastern 
Star Chapter, and lias 
served as chief of the 
fire department in 
which organization be 
has been very active. 
He has held the posi- 
tion of assistant post- 
master in the assem- 
bly one year and the 
following three years 
postmaster of the 
same body. When the 
Peck Memorial li- 
brary was opened he 
was appointed libra- 
rian, which place he 
helduutil.Tunel.ls;t7, 
wheu he resigned to 
enter the postoffice 
under President Mc- 
Kinley's administra- 



tion. Mr. Brooks was born in Danby, Tompkins 
county, N. Y., August 1, 1857. Asa Brooks, 
his father, was an active and pi-omineut Method- 
ist, who devoted forty years in the service of the 
Wyoming Conference of which he was a charter 
member. Mr. Brooks has five sisters and a 
brother living. They are IVIrs. R. H. Morey of 
Nichols, N. Y., Mrs. Parmelia Horton of Elmira, 
Mrs. Frances Beebe of Binghamton, Mrs. Hattie 
Bloomfield and Miss Ella Broolcs of Owego, 
Edward H. Brooks of Sus(iuehanua, Pa., and W. 
L. Brooks of Syracuse. Mr. Brooks learned the 
printer's trade in the Marathon Iiidi-penilent 
office and afterwards iu company with Andrew 
H. Day bought the paper. Mi'. Day sulisequently 
sold his interest to E. L. Adams who afterwards 
bought out Mr. Brooks. The latter was in the 
mercantile business with hislirother W. L. Brooks 
for two years iu the Gardner block and they 
then sold out to T. E. Chapman. On September 
5, 1877, he married Mary Squu-es, the widow 
of Deloss Mack of Marathon. Mrs. Brooks by 
her first maiTiage has one daughter, Irene, the 
wife of Dr. H. H. Turner. Mrs. Brooks' father, 
the late Daniel C. Squires, was a prominent far- 
mer in the town of Lapeer, a well known and 
highly esteemed citizen of prominence in the 
county. 

The First School taught in this vicinity. Mr. 
William Cowdrey teacher, was first conducted in 
a log barn in 1S03. The first school house was 
built of logs on land on Broome street. The 
windows were constructed by tacking slats across 
openings cut tlu-ough the logs and covered with 
oiled papers. Miss Swift was one of the early 
teachers in that building. A few years later a 
frame school house was built about on the site of 
Swift & Co's store. The creek tiowid close by its 
northern wall and during high water the wall 
was undermined so that for several days school 
was conducted on a slanting floor. It was about 
1818 when Squire Biu'gess built a "modern" frame 
school house and received in payment rye and 
corn. 

Population Cortland Co.— 1840, 24007; 1845, 
2.J081 ; 1850, 25140; 1855, 24575; 1860, 26294; 1865, 
•i4S15; 1870, 2.T173; 1875,24885; 1900,27.576. 




^- KKslliK.M 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOirVENIR OP MARATHON 




DH. H, H, 11 i:m;k 
Dr. H. H. Turner, tlic deutist, opeued his office 
iu the prescut locaticni, the Peck block iu LS96, 
where he has built up a profitable practice. His 
marriage to Miss Ireue M., the daughter of C. A. 
Brooks the postuiiister was celebrated on June 
18, 1895, an event which led him to settle defin- 
itely upon Marathon as his future home. Dr. 
Turner has interested himself largely iu promot- 
ing local athletic sports and as a musician associ- 
ated with others has devoted much of liis efforts 
in organizing local talcut, the fruit of which is a 
well organized mandolin and guitar cluli com- 



posed of talented musicians. The local order of 
Maccabees appeals strongly to him and enlists his 
most zealous services. Dr. Turner was born in 
Athens, 111., July 19, 1871. Wlien he was !:> years 
of age his parents mov(>d to Emporia, Kansas, 
wliere he wjis graduated from tlie high school iu 
1889. The same fall he engaged in the study of 
dentistry, his chosen profession, in Dr. Murray's 
office at that place, entering tlie dental college at 
Kansas City in the fall of 1S90 aii<l graduating 
from that institution in 1893. For >ix mnuths he 
practiced in Emporia. Kansas, and for two years 
he had charge of Dr. Spcnr. rV ulliic at Whitneys 
Point, N. Y. The year ini 'idiMi; his removal to 
Marathon he engaged in hi^ pi oi. s^ion at Lester- 
shire, N. Y. On January 1, 1901. he opened an 
office in Greene, Chenango Co., which he runs in 
connection with his Marathon practice, having 
office days at Greene on Tuesdays, Wednesdays 
and Thursdays. Mrs. Turner who is largely 
interested in the study of dentistry has become 
(inite a jiroficient assistant. 

The Mandolin Club.— In the fall of 1S98, a 
nuuidolin club of three mandolins and three 
guitars was organized under the leadership of Dr. 
Turner. The following were the original mem- 
bers:— Mandolins. H. H. Tm'uer, Chas. Roe and 
Louis Boyd ; Guitars, Frank Stevens, Mark Smith 
and Will Crandell. They furnished music for 
local entertainments diu-ing the winter. The 
orchestra continued with this same instrumenta- 
tion until the fall of 1N99 when it was organized 
with the following; Mandolins, H. H. Turner 
and J. C. Watrous ; Piano, Miss Lena Ripley; 
Flute, R. H. Mack; Cello, B. V. Strait; Guitars, 
Frank Stevens and John Bowman. The orchestra 
have a large repertoire of nmsic and have furnished 
music for all kinds of entertainnieuts, including 
banquets, socials, pai'ties, concerts, etc. They 
have played concerts at neighboring towns and 
their praises have been highly sounded . 




Till''. M.\NI)l)TiIN rJA'H. 
.I.ilui K. Bowman, (iuilar. Frank Stevens, (iuitar. H, H. Ma<'k, KUU 

Dr. H. H. Turner, l.^it Mandcilin. Mis.'i Lena Ripley, Piano. 

.Ia.son ('. WatrouH, 2nd Mandolin. K. V. Stran 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OP MARATHON 




DR. W. SPENCER. 

Dr. W. Spencer begau the practice of deutistrj- 
by openiug an office in Lisle iu 1877. The fol- 
lowing year he purchased the old established 
business of Eli Sweet, at Whitney s Point, at the 
same time closing his Lisle office, and has con- 
tinued it since then as one of his regular dental 
establishments. In 1892 he enlarged his field of 
practice by coming to Marathon and buying the 
office and equities of Mr. M. B. Aldridge. a prac- 
tice which the latter had maintained for eighteen 
years as the successor of Dr. Bryant who was at 
one time located iu the Mansard Block. Making 
Marathon his home office Dr. Spencer has since 
July, KiOO, when he opened a place of business at 
South Ot.selic, continued to keep up an office 
practice in four neighboring villages. Marathon, 
Whitneys Point, Cinciuuatus and South Otselic. 
The Cincinuatus brancli he opened in 1897. Hav- 
ing in Dr. M. W. Wright an experienced assist 
ant. Dr. Spencer is al>le to accommodate a pat- 
ronage extending over the adjoining portions of 
Cortland, Broome and 
Chenango c n u n ties 
which contribute to 
the trade that reaches 
tlie four points aliove 
mentioned, by liaviug 
stipulated office days, 
visiting Cincinuatus 
every Monday, South 
Otselic the first and 
third Mondays of the 
month and Whitneys 
Point every Friday. 
The doctor has en- 
larged his Marathon 
house so that he has 
a suite of dental rooms 
done otf inside in oak 
and hard wood floors, 
prettily decorated and 
fully up to the stand- 
ard in every respect. 
in keeping with the 
best village dental 
parlors. His assistant 
is a graduate of the 
Buffalo dental college 
and capable of gi\-ing 
Dr. Spencer's patients 



the best work. The doctor was bom in Virgil, 
June 13, 1855, and by diligent study under prac- 
tical instruction with Dr. S. W. Adamy of Union, 
N. Y., he pushed his way into a wide field of 
successful practice. On .January 1. 1S78, he was 
married to Minnie, the daughter of Josiah Christ- 
man of Virgil, to whom was born three chilrlren, 
Harold. Lulu and Frank, the first deceased. Dr. 
Spencer has many interests in the progressive 
way in Jlarathou outside of his profession, both 
iu educational, fraternal and religious circles. 
Being an active member and a trustee of tlie 
Presljyterian church he has taken an earnest part 
in the work of the Sunday school and of the 
Christian Endeavorers, occupying for the past 
year and a half the presidency of the Marathon 
society and holding the same executive post dur- 
ing 18(i9 in the county organization of Endeav- 
orers. As he is fully m svmpathy with advanced 
education he was elected member of the preseut 
school board calling upon him to serve for a 
second term. He has passed into the highest 
circle of Odd Fellowship and is a member of the 
orders of Red Men and Maccabees. 

Presidents of the United States, age, native 
state, party represented and dates of inaugura- 
tion. George Washington, (57), Va., April 30, 
1789 (unanimous); .John Adams, (62), Mass., 
March 4. 1797. Federal: Thomas Jefferson, (58), 
Va.. March 4, IsOl, Democrat; James Madison, 
(5K), Va., March 4, 1809, Dem. ; James Mom'oe, 
(59), Va., March 14, 1817, Dem.; John Q.Adams, 
(.")8), Mass., March 4. 1825, Federal; Andrew 
Jackson. (02), N. C, March 4, 1829, Dem.; 
Martin Van Biiren, (55), N. Y.. March 4, 1837, 
Dem. ; Wm. Henn- Harrison, (68). Va., March 4, 
1841, Whig: John'Tvler. (51). Va., April, 6,1841, 
James K. Polk, (50|. N. C, March 4, 1845, Dem. ; 
Zacharv TavLir, (65|, Va., March 5, 1849. Whig; 
Millard Filmore. (50), N. Y.. Julv 9, 18.50, Whig; 
Franklin Pierce, (49 1, N. H., March 4, 1853, 
Dem.: .James Buchanan, (66), Pa.. March 4, 1857, 
Dem.: Abraham Lincoln. (52), Ky., March 4, 
1861. Republican: Andrew Johnson, (57). N. C, 
April, 16. 1865. Rep.: U. S. Grant, (47 1, O., 
March 4, 1869. Rep,; R. B. Haves, (.54), O. March 
5, 1877. Rep. : James A. Garfield, (49). O., March 
4, 1S81. Rep. : Chester A. Arthur. (51), Vt.. Sept. 




-■i i.;m hiv .-- KI>~ii<liNili AND OFFICE. 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOITYENIR OF MARATHON 




Borrowed Plioto 



DR. SPENCER IN THE OPERATING ROOM. 

ler, 29; Messeugerville 



20, lfS81. Rep.: Grover Clevelaufl, (48), N. J., 
March 4, 18.S.5, Dem. ; Benjaniin Harrison, (.56), 
C, March 4, 1889, Rep.; Grover Clevelaiicl. (.o6), 
N. J., March 4, 1898, Dem.; Win. McKiuley, 
(53), O., March 4, 1897, March 4, 1901, Rep. 

Planets— Sin, diameter, 822,000 miles ; re- 
volves once in 2.5 days, 8 hours, 10 minutes. Mer- 
cury, diameter, 3,1.50 miles; Revolution about 
the Sun in 8.S d. ; diurnal revolution (length of 
daj') 1 d, Oh, 5 m; distance from the Sun, 35 
million.^ of miles. Veni's, diameter, 7,- 
718; revolution 225 d; diurnal, 23 h, 21 
m; distance, 66 millions. Eakth. di- 
ameter, 7,916 ; revolution 365I4 d ; di- 
urnal, 23 h, 56 minutes; distance, 91 
millions. Moon, diameter, 2,160 miles; 
revolution about the earth in 27 d, 7 h, 
43 m ; distance from earth 237.000 miles : 
the lunar month, from one conjunction 
to the Sun to anotlwr is 29 d. 12 h. 44 m. 
2 s. Mars, diameter. 4,093 ; revolution. 
687 d ; diurnal, 1 d, h, 37 m. distance, 
139 millions. Flora, diameter not given ; 
revolution, 1,139 il ; diurnal not given; 
distance, 201 millions. Hyi;ei.\, diame- 
ter not given; revolution, 2,041 d; diur- 
nal not given; distance 288 millions. 
JlPiTER, diameter, 85,968; revolution, 
4,332 d ; diurnal. 9 h, .55 m ; distance, 475 
millions. Satvkn, diameter. 79,013; re- 
volution, 10,7.59 d ; diurnal, 10 h, 16 ni ; 
distance, 871 millions. Urani's, diame- 
ter, 34,292; revolution, 30,687 d; diurnal 
not known ; distance 1 ,752 millions. Nep- 
tune, diameter, 37.000; revolution. 60, 
127 d; diurnal not known ; distance, 2.7 13 
millions. Asteroids, a system of up- 
wards of a hundred planets tlius far dis- 
covered ranging in diameter, eacli, so far 
as is known from .50 to 230 miles, iiecu- 1 i ■ 

pying a belt about 200 million miles wide ,i,.',',t ir Mrs' 'I' 
and averaging in distance from the Sun (in-.n.-. s.. i,-ti 
from 200 millions to 300 millions of rann n.n. Scj 1. 1 
miles. The four largest are Ceres, Pallas, ijjn," [uj'ji'rs. - 
.luno and Vesta. Dickinson. 



Distances From 
riarathon — Killowog, 
3 miles; Lisle, 7 ; Cen- 
tre Tjisle, 7; Upper 
Lisle, (1; Whitneys 
Point, 9; Triangle, 11; 
Castle Creek, 13; Bar- 
ker 14; Chenango 
Forks, I.N; Bingham- 
ton, 27 ; Hunt's Cor- 
ners, 5; Harford, 11; 
iM' ^ '^Hi Harford Mills, 11; 

^^^ ..^ih3P Richford, 15; Berk- 
shire, 21 ; Newark 
Valley , 20 ; Owego, 
30; Virgil, 11; Dry- 
den, 16; Ithaca, 29; 
Texas Valley, 5 ; Wil- 
let, 9; Lake"View, 11; 
Smithville Flats, 13: 
( Jrcene, 20 ; Cincm- 
natus, 12; Taylor, 15; 
Pitcher, 15 ; North 
Pitcher. 20 ; South Ot- 
selic, 22; DeRuyter, 
28; Norwich, 35; 
Freetown, (!; East 
Freetown, 10; Solon, 
14; Tru.xton, 33; Cuy- 
4; Blodgett Mills, 10; 
McGrawville, 12; Cortland, 14; McLean 17; 
Homer, 18; Little York, 20; Preble 23; Tully, 
26; Apulia, 31; Onativia, 3s ; .lamesville, 42; 
Syracuse, 50; Groton, 24. 

Population vicinity villages : Lisle, 392 ; Whit- 
ney Point, 807; Moravia, 1142; Greene, 1236; 
New Berlin, 1156; Norwich, 5776; O.xford, 1931: 
Diydeu, 699; Freeville, 440; Groton, 1344. 




OFFICERS W. C. T. V. 
t)i. Pri'siricnt: ->. Mrs. Kllii .Mc-Ki'll.r, 1st Viri> I'ri'si- 
-a Hamlin, Jtlil Vi.-.- I'r.sicl.-.il : 4. .Mrs Allirrtine 
.■ .■.. Mrs. W. I' -IM. r. I'r.iisiirrr; lI, Mrs. I.,,ttie 
'V ..1 -Y ■ w..rl; : r, Mrs. Anna l^tjulinton Ulu.-. Suner- 
nbution: s. Mrs. .1. E. Fisli ; '.1. Mrs. Ilattic Mi-Far- 
■ Spencer; II, Mrs. \V. S. BurKess; VI. Miss Emcline 



80 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 








W. E. SEAMANS. 

Seamans Bros, succeeded W. A. Beutley to the 
general merchandise business in the Peck block 
on the site of the oldest place of business in Mara- 
thon, on February 7, IsO.S. The original building 
by George Peck in the late twenties and after- 
wards by Peck & Hibbard was bui'ued down. 
After being rebuilt in 1854, it was occupied by 
R. P. Burhaus & Co. until 1856, then by Peck & 
Adams until IS-"")".) ; then by Tripp & Adams until 
1884; afterwards by W. C. Sanders and others 
down to the time Mr. Beutley took it. When 
Seamans Brothers became the owners of the busi- 
ness only one-half the room of what is now re- 
quired was then needed. What is now a double 
store was then occupied by Bentley on the north 
side and the Bank on the south. Under the pres- 
ent form the two stores have been connected and 
are devoted entirely to boots and shoes. The 
basement has been 
fitted up and theoflices 
in the second floor 
taken out giving the 
firm three floors and 
two large stores, so 
that now the business 
is conducted on a scale 
equal to that of a large 
department store. The 
firm has added, not 
only boots and shoes 
but ladies' cloaks and 
men's clothing. In 
addition to the large 
retail business they 
carry on a wholesale 
trade with merchants 
in adjacent villages. 
During the seven years 
this enterprising firm 
has been in Marathon 
the business has ex- 
panded to four times 
what it was when 



they took it. Seamans Brothers desiring to 
supply the Marathon trade with every line of 
goods needed formed a copartnership with A. H. 
Jlain in April iNyit, and bought the hardware 
business of Randolph Mack. Mr. Main is a prac- 
tical plumber and steamfitter who for several 
years was employed by G. L. Swift & Sous, and 
Seamans Bros. & Main do a large plumbing and 
steamfitting business in connection with a general 
hiirdwari' trade. Both members of tlie firm have 
engaged in trade from boyhood and are practical 
iu all di'partments. John O. Seamans, the senior 
partner, was born in Virgil, Dec. 15, 1855. In 
ISTCiaud '78 he was a clerk for W. A. Holtou at 
Virgil and in April, 1881 he bought the business 
of E. B. Lincoln & Co., at Messengerville, the 
following year taking iu his brother as a partner 
only for three years. This he conducted up to the 
time he and his brother entered the ^Marathon 
store. Mr. Seamans married Eva M. Shevalierof 
East Virgil, in April 1881. They have one son, 
Ray Seamans. W. E. Seamans was born in 
Drydeu. August 27, 186.3. At 19 years of age he 
beguu a clerkship with S. K. Jones of Virgil, 
previous to which time he taught school and 
clerked for a while for C. W. Stoker of Cortland. 
Iu 1882 he bought a half interest in the Messen- 
gerville business with his brotlier which he sold 
out three years later and started a wholesale notion 
store at Cortland which he carried on for three 
years taking the road as his own salesman. This 
gave him an acquaintanceship which proved most 
advantageous iu the connections he lias since 
made. In 1888 he entered the employ of D. Mc- 
Carthy & Sous of Syracuse and continued for that 
house as travelling salesman until ls97 when the 
firm withflrew from the wholesale trade. In 1890 
Mr. Seamans bought out the boot and shoe busi- 
ness of A. R. Peck at Cortland which lie subse- 
quently sold to Baker & AngeU. As an incorpor- 
ator he helped organize the Syracuse Dry Goods 
Company in 1897 of which he is one of the mana- 
gers and since then has represented that company 
on the road. On January 21, 1885, he married 
Addie L. Robinson of Marathon. They have two 
sous, Harold and Carletou. Mr. Seamans is a 
republican and a member of the ^larathon lodge 
F. & A M. and the K. of P. 




^^' -^|i|i^;_ 




\S . K. SKAMANS' UKSILiKNl'E. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




J. O. SEAMANS. 

The First Newspaper published iu IMarathon 
villaKi' was issued in May, 1X50. Its editor aud 
publisher was (4eorge L. Swift, theu aud for many 
years since iu the drug aud hardware business iu 
Marathon village. It was an issue of four pages, 
each pag(^ being about 10x12 inches. It was pub- 
lished monthly and the occasional copies which 
still exist show many items of local interest, to- 
gether witli articles and sketches of more than 
ordinary merit, contributed by the now noted 
astrouomer, Dr. Lewis Swift, who theu resided at 
Hunt's Corners, Horace L. Greene, now a well- 
kuown editor and lawyer iu the city of Chicago, 
the late Ira L. Little, Esq., aud others. The 
paper was established by Mr. Swift especially to 
advertise his business and had a circulatiou of 
between three aud four hundred copies. It was 
published for a year or two only. The first print- 
ing ottice in Mai-athou was started by the late 
.John B. Bedeu, who 
started the Tioughui- 
ogiau. and a few 
weeks later in con- 
junction with E. S. 
Weld, who was then 
principal of the acad- 
emy, clianged it the 
first number of the 
Peoples' Journal, 
"Devoted to the var- 
ied interests of all," 
oil Thursday, Januarj' 
10, IKC.l, a sliort time 
prior to the breaking 
out of the civil war. 
This was a seven-col- 
umn folio and was 
printed upon a Wa-sli- 
ington hand press. 
Some of tlie material 
used upon this |)ap(^r 
is still iu existence. 
Its price was one dol- 
lar per year, and it 
never could liavebeen 
profitable. Mr. Weld, 
at the breaking out of 
the war entered the 
army leaving Mr. Bed- 



eu to conduct the Journal alone, which he did for a 
short time ouly. Mr. Bedeu subse(iueiitly pub- 
lished a newspaper at DeUuyter and in a nunilier 
of other pliices. In |.S(!:!,"two years later, on 
Thursday, February \2, tlie Maratlioii Mirror was 
issued by (i. A. Dodge, wlioalso published a paper 
known as the Br(X)me (tazetteat Wliitiie.vs Point. 
Mr. Dodge subseipiently disiX)se<l of tlie Mirror to 
Mi'ssrs. P. D. and C. .\. Van Vradeiiburg who 
changed its name to the Marathon Leader. Theirs 
was n ally the first successful newspaper venture 
in Marathon. In ISCi? the firm was dissolved, the 
senior member going to IMMghanitmi in the otlice 
of the Biiighaiutoii Kei)ulili<-aii, of wlm-li y.\\n:T 
he was local and a.ssociate editor fcir many years. 
The Leader was coutiuned by his brother Chet, 
but owing to his ea.sy, good nature aud procras- 
tinating methods, the busiuess fell oft' and he 
gave up the printing plant to a mortgagee. Sub- 
se(iueiitly in IsCi) the plant Was leased by one I'. 
Dwi^'ht Smith who collected some three or four 
hundred advanced subscriptions on his Marathon 
News and departed between two days, leaving 
uiil)leasaiit recollections iu his wake. Marathon 
had theu become a village of enough imiiortauce 
to iu.sure its inhabitants a weekly newspaper and 
iu 1870 Wallace Kelley. who had been employed 
as foreman by the late Benton B. Jones of the 
Cortland Deniocrat, purchased for Mr. Jones at 
mortgage sale, the press and materials used in the 
News ottice, aud on July lit of that year the first 
number of the Marathon Independent was issued 
by Mr. Kelley. Mr. Jones retained the ownership 
of the plaut ouly a year when Mr. Kelley became 
by purchase its owner. By industry, good judge- 
ment and thrift Mr. Kelley laid the foundation of 
a successful business. 'Too close application to 
work undeniiiued his health and in June ISTO he 
was obliged to give up active editorial work into 
the hands of Ed. L. Adams, then a lad of lit years 
who has since had editorial charge of its columns. 

Mr. Kelley's death occurred aud just 

prior to that time his business was purchased by 
Rev. Asa. Brooks and Andrew H. Day who sub- 
se(piently disposed of their interests iu 1S78 to 
Charles A. Brooks aud Ed. L. Adams. In isso 
Mr. Adams purchased the interest of his partner 
and has since conducted the Independent). Iu 
1!S7T for one week the Independent was pub- 
lished as a daily. Arrangements had been made 




A. .lolmsun, l^lioto. 



.1. O. SEAMANS- RESIDENCE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




iMn4a 



A. Johnson, Photo. SEAMANS BEOS'. GENEKAL STOKE. 
with a New York house whereby three pages of 
latest telegi-aphic uews was f m-nished aud sent to 
Marathou by express, the local page beiug put in 
type at the lionie office and ready for printing 
upon the arrival of the afternoon train, but at the 
end of the first week the great railroad 
strike of tliat year went into effect aud the 
daily Independent was snuffed out. 

M. E. Church, Killowog, N. Y. — No 
data are in existence from which to 
determine .iust when Methodism began 
in Killowog ; but it is known that eaidy 
in the history of that community, people 
of this faith and order lived there. 
There being no organized class the Meth- 
odists united witli the class at Marathon, 
and went tliither to worship. In 1843 
the Rev. Levi Pitts organized a class of 
tliirty members, with David Locke as 
leader. (.)f this class three members 
are still living, Mary Caul, Parmelia 
Hoyt aud Merritt Hoyt. The class roll 
of 1847 contained twenty names with 
Moses Livermore leader, but as there was 
no regular preaching service held here, 
the class was discontinued for a time. 
The class was reorganized in 1860, with 
Merritt Hoyt as leader. It consisted of 
the following memliers: Merritt Hoyt, 
Parmelia Hoyt, Hezekiah Crain. Eliza- 
beth Crain, Mary Crain, Cynthia Wheat 
on, Ann Hitt, and Mary Muckey. The 
tirst class met in the school house on the 
west side of the river, but the school 
trustees compelled them to seek another 
place for tlieir meetings. For a while 
they worshipped in the Baptist church, 
but on account of a conflict as to the 
hour of service Mr. Hoyt invited the 
society to worship in his house, and 



arranged the rooms and made seats to 
accommodate all who would meet vrtth 
them. From the place where the preacli- 
er stood four rooms opened wliich were 
well filled with interested listeners. It 
was now evident that Methodism had 
come to stay, and its supporters were 
determined to have a permanent place 
of worship. So the members of the class 
met at Mr. Hoyt's May 20, 1867, to effect 
a complete organization, and to take steps 
to build. The Rev. A. C. Bowdish pre- 
sided at this meeting, and C. H. Phelps 
was chosen secretary. They named 
themselves The First Methodist Episco- 
pal church of Killowog, and elected the 
following named persons trustees : Eras- 
tus John.son, Calvin Wheaton, William 
Lynde, Caleb Newton, Samurl Phelps, 
John Ballard aud Arcliibald Sessions. 
The trustees were authorized to circu- 
late a subscription paper and to proceed 
to build a house for public worship. A 
site was secured from John LaGrange 
for $12.5. Plans were drawn for a house 
40x33 feet with posts iOfeethigh. Erec- 
tion of the building was let to William 
Gowdy for 11,03.5. The total cost with 
painting, furnishings and lot was $2,247. 
Siiii-e its erection the edifice has received 
careful attention and now presents a neat 
and kept-up appearance, all the interior 
a))pointments being modern and showing 
enterprise on the part of tlie members. 
Since its beginning the chm-ch has had 
steady prosperity. For many years it has 
been connected with Marathon under the 
same ministerial supply. It is composed 
of sterling men and women whose 
influence in the conununity is most potent. The 
congregation whicli fills the house the afternoon 
of every Lord's day is one of the most intelligent, 
appreciative and iuspiring of any in the region 
round about. 




A: MAIN'S HARDWARE STORE. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOLn'ENIR OF MARATHON 




MRS. T. L. ('(iKWIN. 
MISS CATHAKINE I.. CORWIN. 



T. L. C(JRWIN. 
FRANK T. CORWIN. 



T. L. Corwin was twice elected president of 
the village of Marathon and has .served two terms 
on the lioard of trustees. It was during one of 
liis terms as president that it was considered 
necessary to providi- better protection against fire 
than was possible to obtain by depending upon 
wells and the river, so the storage reservoir on 
tlie liill west of the village was constructed and 
an adequate supply of 
water was secured. 
This improvised plan 
answered every pur- 
pose for the west side 
of the river until tlie 
present larger and 
more comprehensive 
system of water supply 
was constructed. It 
was also during one of 
his terms as president 
of the village that the 
unsightly plot of 
ground in front of the 
churches was maiir 
into a pretty and vast- 
ly improved public 
green. In lS(;-.)-4 in- 
clusive, Mr. Corwin 
and nis fiitlier, C. L. 
Corwin, were engsigcd 
in the harness business 
over Swift's drug 
store which (t. L. Cor- 
win established in 
I Sol. Tlic son was n 
member of the firm of 
Carter & Corwin who 
for a year carried on 



the grocery tra<le in a 
building next to tlie 
railroad. The latter 
retired to go into the 
harness business and 
until 1!S74, wlien he 
sold out to Smith & 
Robinscm, he enjoyed 
a large and lucrative 
trade in the building 
next west to tlie post- 
office which he erect- 
ed especially for the 
business and which 
has been used for it 
ever since. The build- 
ing ni!xt west of it now 
occupied by M. T. 
Wooster was also built 
by Mr. Corwin for his 
di'ug business at th(^ 
time he moved out of 
tile Tiffany building. 
.\rter selling out he 
m;u le a trip west where 
he spent the greater 
part of a year. On his 
return to Marathon he 
formed the copart- 
nershipof Robinson & 
Corwin which for a 
year carried on the 
flour and feed business 
where tlie grist mill 
near the depot now 
stands. Then he em- 
barked in the drug 
business opposite 
Swift & Son's store 
which he followed 
for seventeen years, 
retiring therefrom in order to engagein the business 
of a broker in flour, grain and feed which he has 
since carried on with marked success. Taking as 
the staple line the products of the Fall Creek Mill- 
ing company, Ithaca, N. Y., Mr. Corwin went 
upon tlie road, where he places his own orders, 
and gradually extends his trade from year to year 
until now he and his sou Ira, who represents 
western mills, cover a territory of fifteen lumdred 



IRA I. coKWIN. 
MRS. ELSIE M. PARKINSON 




T. I.. CORWIN'S RESIDEN(;E. 



'GRIP'S" HIST(1RICAL SOm'ENIR OF MARATHON 




MRS. MARY E. TARBELL. 



A. A. TARBELL. 



mile.s exteucUug east, south and west. Mr. Cor- 
wiu is promiueutly iclHUtified with the Masonic or- 
der aii<l lias been for thirty- three years. He was 
born at Mt. Hope, Orange county, N. Y., Anfjnst 
2. 1.S40, iinil was eleven years old when his parents 
moved to Marathon. At In years of ii^e he en- 
tered upon a clerkship for Rout & Shaver, a. crock- 
ery liouse at Newburgh, N. Y., where he re- 
mained until four years later when he came to 
Marathon to enpage in business with his father. 
Mr. Corwin was alwnys n'a<ly t(i endorse any i)ro- 
positiou which hi' iciiisidircd for the best interests 
of the villat,'e and I he iiinveuKait wliicli led to the 
construction of the present commodious school 
buihlint; owes much for its success to the board of 
trustees who were convinced of the great needs 
for such a building and therefore used the author- 
ity which they pi )ssessed to cari-y out the plan in 
the best possil lie iiiainier, the result of which has 
proven the wisdom of their action. Mr. Corwin 
was chairman and his associates were J. H. Tripp 
and C. C. Adams. The cost of the building and 
its equipment was 
$8,000 and it is to the r - 
credit of these gentle- 
men that it was kept 
within the appropria- 
tion. Mr. Corsvin mar- 
ried Arminda B. 
Johnson of Marathon 
July 4, ISGl, and they 
had seven children of 
whom there ai'e living 
Mrs. Elsie M. Parkin- » , 

son of Camden, N. J., 
and Frank, Ira L. and 
Miss Catharine Cor- 
win of Marathon. 
Frank Corwin mar- 
ried Ella B., the 
daughter of Darius 
Hoyden of Marathon 
and Ira wedded (t. 
Atla, the daughter of 
Harry Clnugh of 
Upper Lisle, N. Y. 
Mr. Corwin indulges 



in literary work in which his family enjoys 
the best advantages, and has corresponded for 
literary periodicals. 

The Marathon House — A. A. Tarbell, the 
proprietor of the hotel business conducted as 
the Marathon House, with his cousin C J. 
Tarbell bought out Melvin W. Conger, Febru- 
ary 1, 1SS4. The first tavern opened in Mara- 
thon was in the residence of Ahram Brink 
who conducted it until his death in 1824, and 
was succeeded by his sou Chester who a few 
years later closed his house as a place of 
public entertainment. In 183:j David Peck 
purchased a small dwelling wliich stood on 
the site of the present Marathon House, and 
erected an addition which he opened as an 
hotel and which through successive landlords 
has been altered and improved until it now 
stands as the Marathon House. Since Messrs. 
Tai-bell took control of the business under 
a lease which has since been continued they 
have built the addition on the west side, 
occupied by G. K. Smith as a barber shop, 
and also a connecting apartment in the 
rear of the north side so as to enlarge their 
kitchen facilities and afford a private dining room. 
From time to time Mr. Tarbell has decorated and 
brightened the interior so that it presents a pleas- 
ant and welcome appearance throughout. It is to 
the credit of Mrs. Tarbell that the table is pro- 
vided in a manner which has given the house 
excellent repute among traveling people. The 
menu and the cooking are far aliove the average, 
served in a manner wholly satisfactory. A. A. 
Tarbell was born in Lisle, Broome county, N. Y., 
April 2, 1887, and followed the calling of a farmer 
up to the time he took possession of the hotel. 
He owns the farm which his grandfather cleared 
and which is located in the town of Lapeer about 
two miles west of the village of Marathon. Mr. 
Tarbell and his wife, who was Miss Mary Preston 
of Killowog, were mai-ried February 8, 18(i!). 
They are to be commended for the agreeable 
manner in which they entertain their guests, a 
reputation they have fairly earned and which no 
doubt contriliutes to keeping up the large patron- 
age the house enjoys. 




A. Johnson, Photo. THE MARATHON HOUSE, A. A. TARBELL, I'Li il'KI i: I'l i|; 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOIIVKNIR ( )F MARATHON 



85 




"^^Pw^ 




G. K. SMITH. 
Q. K. Smith who lias always been anioug the 
most active ineiiibers of tlie fire departmeut of 
which he is the secretaiy, a position he has held 
two years, and of the Marathon lodge of Odd 
Fellows, was born in Marathon, Aug. 25, 18(i4, 
and is widely known in the county, as well as the 
village. He is tin- proprietor of the Marathon 
House barber sho]i and cigar store situated in the 
annex of the hotel which was built for his purpose 
seven or eight years ago. Prior to that time for 
a year he worked for Eugene Boyden, and before 
that for two years w;is with Charley Towl. Then 
Mr. Smith bought the sliop of Archie Stevens in 
the Smith block whence he moved into his 
present location. His father, ( ). H. Smith, whose 
death occiuTed in 18!I2, came to Marathon from 
Delaware county more than forty years ago. He 
has occupied tlie ofiico of village trustee and a 
place in the roll of 
volunteer fireman and 
has served as trustee 
of the M. E. churcli 
for thirty years. It 
was lie who built the 
Methodist parsonage 
for his own residence 
and where he lived 
several years. His oc- 
cupation was that of 
wagon making, re pair- 
ing and general black- 
sinithing. His widow 
now living in ( jortland 
isasi.ster of Mr. Cliiis 
H. Houton. (t. K 
Smith was married 
October."), 1SS-.) to Miss 
Heftie Earley of l)e- 
])osit. Their children 
are Kdiia aged 1 7 years 
and ( 'lara, I .'i years old. 
Mr. Smitli is a republi- 
can of thi^ strongest 
type, an active jiarty 
worker anrl for three 
years a deputy slieritV. 



American Wars. — King Phillip's, K'u.'i : King 
Williams, H)S9 ; Dutch, 1(>93; Queen Aunes, 1744; 
French and Indian, 17.i5; Revolution, April I.s, 
1775 (Lexington fight) to January 20, iss:! 
(treaty at Paris) 3f;8,41() men in service; North 
West Indian wars, September lit, I7il0, extending 
5 years, 8,!)8;! men ; French war, .Inly 9, 1798, 
lasting 2 years, 4,. 593 men ; Tripoli, June 10, 1801, 
4 years, 3,330 men; Creek Indian, July 27, IS13, 1 
year, 13,781 men; Great Britain, June 18, 1812, 2 
years, 8 months, 576, (>23 men; Seminole Indian, 
November 20, 1817, 1 year, 7,911 men; Black 
Hawk Indian. April 20, 1831, 1 year (i months, 
fi,4li5 men; Cherokee Indian, 183(i, 1 year, 9,494 
men ; Creek Indian, May 5, 183(), 1 year, 5 mouths, 
13,418 men; Florida Indian, December 23, 1835, 8 
years, 41,122 men ; Aroostook Indian, l!S38, 1 year, 
l.'iOO men; Mexican, April 14, 1846, 2 years, 3 
moiitlis, l(il,2.s2 men; Apache, Navajo and Utah 
Indian, 1S49, 6 years, 2,501 men; Seminole In- 
dian, 18.")6, 2 years, 2,687 men; Civil war, April 
12, IS61, 4 years, 2,772,408 men; about 800,000 
confederate troops. 

Don't Marry. — According to a table printed in 
a King James bible, bearing the date 1796, the 
scriptures prohibit a man or woman from marry- 
ing: — "grandmother or grandfather; grand- 
mother's or grandfather's husband or wife ; wife's 
or husband's grandfather or grandmother ; moth- 
er's or father's sister or brother; mother's or 
father's brother's or sister's wife or husband; 
wife's or husband's father's or mother's sister or 
brother ; mother or father ; stepmother or step- 
father; wife's or husband's mothi^r or father; 
daughter or son; wife's or husband's daughter 
or son ; daughter's or sou's husband or wife ; 
sister or brother; wife's or hu.sband's sister 
or brother ; sister's or brother's husband or wife ; 
daughter's or sou's daughter or son ; daughter's or 
sou's son's or daughter's wife or husband ; sister's 
or brother's daughter or son ; sister's or brother's 
son's or daughter's wife or liusband ; wife's or 
husband's sister's or brother's daughter or son. 




SMITH'S CKIAK STORK AND HAHHEH SHOP. 



'GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 




to Miss Rose A., the daughter of Edward Spargur 
of Eaton, N. Y., iu 1869, aud they have the fol- 
lowing children : LUlie ( Mrs. J. E. Albro of Ma- 
rathon), Grace, a teacher of the public schools 
and music, Tina (Mrs. Robert J. Miller of Cort- 
land), Alice and Harriet. Mr. Pulford's brother 
Charles, who is a prominent politician, lives iu 
Elmira : Arthur is dead and Emily resides in Mc- 
Lean, N. Y. Mrs. Rose A., the wife of Frank 
Pulford, was born iu Eaton. Madison county, N. 
Y.. where her mother's family were among the 
earliest settlers, the latter's father being a veteran 
of the war of 1S12. Her father in 1X0.5 came to 
Eaton from Stoniugton Pt., Conn., where still 



F. A. PULFORD. 
Frank A. Pulford was in the drug aud grocery 
Viusiness in Marathon about twenty years, a 
business which was regarded as among the largest 
in the village. Mr. Pulford was popular and 
possessed a geniality which was wholly character- 
istic of him. He was personally active in public 
matters where opportunitj' ottered. Upon coming 
to Marathon he started alone but afterwards took 
in Dr. Tiffany as a partner and the business was 
conducted about six years as Tiffany & Pulford 
after which it was carried on as F. A. Pulford. 
During the time lie was cliief of the fire depart- 
ment the members were inspired to engage in 
contests of etticieucy at the State conventions, a 
movement he entered into zealou.sly with the 
result tliat to Marathon came one of the excellent 
prizes, a hose cart which stimulated the volunteer 
flremeu of the State 
to excel, aud gave 
Marathon firemen a 
prominent place at 
State conventions. 
Mr. Pulford has served 
on the village board 
of trustees aud as a 
member of tlie school 
board. In 1884 he 
built the first resi- 
dence on Brink sti'eet 
which is still his 
home. He was born 
in Liucklaeu aud after 
finishing his educa- 
tion he learned the 
trade of miller in his 
father's mill at Trux 
ton. Then he engaged 
in jiutting up mill 
macliinery and gi't tint; 
the mills started until 
the spring of IsT'.i 
whenhe came to Mara- 
thon. He was married f. s. Dellow, Photo. 




BoiTowi-dcut]. MRS. ROSE A. PULFORD 

stands the residence of his father — a revolutionary 
soldier — an old revolutiouai-y land mark. Mrs. 
Pulford is today the only lady pharmacist in Cort- 
land county who has passed the required exami- 
nation and taken the degree of Ph. G. At an 
early age she went to boarding school and was 




^^3l(®*»S&ssa«»**i*-~-=- 



MRS. PULFORD'S KKSIDBNCE. 



■GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOXn'ENIR OF MARATHON 




A. Jolinson, Photo. 



RESIDENCE OF CHARLES ADAM 



afterwards a teacher, haviug received the advan- 
tages of higher education. (Jn account of her 
husband's fsiiliug health she took a position in his 
drug store in 1888 and continued to assist in the 
business and take care of the books and at the 
same time to study for the profe.ssion for which 
she liad taken a fancy, often when her liu.sband 
was unalile to assist, running tlie store alone. 
The hitc William Spargur, a well known lawyer 
iif Allcgaiiy rouiity, who once prarticed in Cort- 
land county, Edwaid, who died in Pennsylvania 
and the late Mrs. Mary Mills of Auburn, (>., and 
Mrs. Sabriua J. Sheppard, the postmistress of Che- 
mung are Mrs. Pulford's brothers and sisters. 

Wars of the world — Cost in lives and money ; 
1S.5.-)- 1880:— Crimean, 1.50,000 lives; $1,700,000,000. 
Italian, 45,000 lives; ij;i00,000,000. Sohleswig- 
Holsttin, 3,000 lives, 135,000,000. American, 
Civil, Union, 280,000 
lives; .|:4, 700,000,000. 
American, Civil, Con- 
federate, 520,000 lives : 
12.300,000,000. Prus- 
sia-.^ustria, Italian, 
45.000 lives; $330,000,- 
00. Expeditions in 
Mexico, Cochin- 
("hina, Morocco, Par- 
aguay, 65,000 lives; 
.-ii^oO.'ooO.ooO. Pranco- 
(iernian, France 155, 
1)00 lives; Germany. 
till.ODO; total cost, *2,- 
(IdO, 00(1,000. Russia- 
Turko, 225,000 lives ; 
$1,100,000,000. Zulu- 
and-Afghan, 40,000 
lives ; $.50,000,000. 

Fire '89 at Killo- 

wog — Alioiit eleven 
o'clock at night, .Tuh" 
2SI, 188!), Henry Bra- 
man's grist mill was 
discovered on fire and 
all that could be saved f. s. DcUow, photo. 



were the dam and the 
bulkhead. The mill 
had been on tire twice 
before. 

Early Roads.— In 

the town of Maratliou 
aroad was cutthrougli 
from the South about 
1794 following tlie 
river to a point south 
of and diverging east 
from the village, term- 
inating at the salt 
works at Salina. The 
state road then ran 
westerly along the 
north lineof the town, 
crossed the river at 
State bridge and con- 
tinued throxigh the 
county. 

Lakes, Area — Su- 
perior, 3(i0 miles long ; 
32,000 square nnles. 
jj Y Barkal, 370 long; 17,- 

750 sq. m. Michigan, 
Great Slave, 300; 8,000. 
8,500. Huron, 2i50; 21,000. Erie. 
240; !l,(i00. Athabasca, 230; 4,f>00. Ontario, 100; 
6,300. Nicaraugua, 110 ; 2,830. Maracaybo, 100 ; 
7,500. Great Bear, 1.50; 14,000. Ladoga, 120; 
6,804. Champlaiu, 126; 1,500. Lake of the 
Woods, 85; 7,6.50. (rreat Salt Lake, HO; 2,2i)0. 
Constance, 44 ; 200. Geneva, 53 ; 490. George, 
36; 110. Cayuga, 38 ; 104. Utah, 24 ; 130. 

Organization of Cortland Co. — Montgomery 
county was formed from Albany, March 12, 1772; 
Herkimer from Montgomery February, 1791; On- 
ondaga from Herkimer March o, 1794; Cortland 
from Onondaga April 8, 1808, which was named 
in honor of General Pierre Van Cortlandt the 
first Lieut. -Governor of the State of New York. 



KILLoWOCi, 

340 ; 22,400. 
Winnipeg, 264 ; 




RESIDENCE OF C. W. BLISS, KILLOWOG, N. V. 



ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT "GRIP'S" HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF MARATHON 



OLDEST DENTAL OFFICE IN CORTLAND 

--=7ffi) SPECIAL PRICES ©£»-' — — 

ARTIFICIAL TEETH, S5 PER PLATE ARTIFICIAL TEETH WITH GOLD FILLINGS, Sio PER PLATE 

ARTIFICIAL TEETH WITH GOLD TEETH, Si 5 PER PLATE 

zz=iz:^^==^= TEETH FILLED WITHOUT PAIN 



SMITHS DENTAL ROOMS, Wali^ce Building 



v. li. ML'DGt, 

Terms Reaioiiable. 




WORK TAKEN ON CONTRACT FOR 



CHIRCHES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND 
. . . RESIDENCES. . . 



^ 



Work Guaninteed, 



Correspondence Solicited. 



E. p. JOHNSON. 

Marathon, N. 7'. 



.TE¥: 



THE BOSS INSURANCE MAN, 

SXEVENSON, 



Before the Fire Burnetii, 
Before the Cyclone Bloweth, 
Before thnu Slip and Fallcth, 
Before the Death Bell Tollcth, 
-INSURE WITH 



OFFIC'K, 11'-2 ?^I AIN STREKT. 



C\ JRTLAND, ISJ, Y. 




HEADQUARTERS FOR_ 



CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED. 



A FULL LINE OF CAMERAS AND 
SUPPLIES ALWAYS ON HAND... 

-PUMO CAMERAS A SPECIALTY^ 

Call and be convinced. 

Mv Prices are Right. 

ARVINE C. JOHNSON. 



— ="^M. H. ALLEN ^^^^^^^^ — 
Horseslioeiia^' and Repairing 

OPPOSITE INDEPENDENT OFFICE. 



H. GUY PALMER 




MARATHON, N. Y. 



Scientific :. Optician 



— ^ EX a:mi i^ a Tio^s frke: 

LofC. 



I H S '07 



